'L.Q.ZS. 

LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMIHARY 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

PRESENTED  BY 

I\/1y~3.  cl  oil  n ZDoVYi 


i;^.u^...X)5609 
Section  .T84 


V 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Frontispiece 


THE  MAPLE  GIRL 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


MRS.  HUGH  FRASER 

AUTHOR  OF  “palladia,”  “ THE  LOOMS  OF  TIME,”  “A  CHAPTER 
OF  ACCIDENTS,”  ETC. 


WITH  TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Jl 

NEW  EDITION,  IN  ONE  VOLUME 

A 


Nebj  gork 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  & CO.,  Ltd. 

1904 


All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1899, 


By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up,  electrotyped,  and  published  1899.  New  edition,  in  one  volume, 
March,  1904. 


Nortoaob  Ureas 

J.  S.  Cushing  & Co.  — Berwick  & Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


AL  DILETTISSIMO  COMPAGNO 
ME  ASPETTANDO 
NELLA  ETEPNA  PACE 


Two  babes  the  mother  bore  at  one  rich  birth, 

Twin  hearts  that  beat  to  her  low  notes  of  love, 

Twin  souls  that  leapt  to  each  heroic  call. 

As  generous  sword  to  snatch  the  Treasure-trove 
Of  hard-won  honour.  And  our  Mother  Earth, 

Rocking  the  twain  in  the  deep  rise  and  fall 
Of  her  green  bosom,  sang  proud  litanies. 

Promised  them  beauty,  conquest,  empire,  brain  and  heart. 
And  woman’s  faith,  and  towering  pride  of  race. 

Too  great  to  rule  together,  worlds  apart 
She  set  them,  in  the  silver  of  the  seas. 

Yet  heart  calls  heart,  as  erst  upon  the  breast 
That  bore  these  glories,  sovereign  in  their  place, 

The  Island  Empires  of  the  East  and  West. 


INTRODUCTORY 


N the  following  letters,  written  during  a three  years’ 


residence  in  Tokyo,  no  method  was  followed  beyond 
that  suggested  by  the  interests  and  the  fancy  of  the  mo- 
ment ; no  detailed  description  was  attempted  of  Japan, 
her  history  and  her  customs  and  her  philosophies.  In 
the  times  when  every  foreigner  saw  the  same  sights  in  the 
Island  Empire,  obtained  the  same  stereotyped  glimpses 
of  the  people’s  life,  and  was  contented  with  the  half-com- 
prehended information  given  by  his  guide,  it  was  easy, 
and  alas!  fashionable,  to  describe  the  ^^toj  country”  and 
its  “fairy-like”  inhabitants  with  glib  security  in  large 
print.  Those  times  are  gone  for  ever.  Japan  has  set 
the  doors  of  her  secret  shrines  ajar,  so  that  we  can  at 
any  rate  take  the  first  step  in  wisdom,  and  realise  how 
little  we  know.  Tliose  who,  like  myself,  have  had  the 
privilege  of  spending  long  years  in  the  country,  with 
liberty  to  “ visit  any  spot  and  remain  in  it  for  any 
length  of  time,”  become  gradually  aware  of  the  many- 
sided  and  complex  character  of  the  people,  — simple  to 
frankness,  yet  full  of  unexpected  reserves,  of  hidden 
strengths,  and  dignities  of  power  never  flaunted  before 
the  eyes  of  the  world ; surprising  and  majestic  as  some 
of  those  indescribable  mountain  views  in  the  central 
hills,  where  from  a flowery  rise  in  a meadow  the  amazed 


X 


INTRODUCTORY 


traveller  finds  himself  on  the  verge  of  a dizzy  precipice, 
looking  out  on  a world  where  the  primeval  forces  appear 
to  have  that  moment  ceased  their  play,  where  some 
great  city  of  giant  towers  and  ramparts,  temples  and 
palaces,  seems  to  lie  at  his  feet,  overthrown  and  tossed 
upon  itself  as  the  bricks  that  the  child  builds  high, 
and  then  dashes  down  for  the  joy  of  them  fall.  The 
Japanese  scenery  is  often  like  a book  of  pictures.  The 
mists  rise,  and  show  you  one  beauty  at  a time,  then 
close  in  behind  you.  The  leaf  is  turned,  and  you  won- 
der if  it  was  true  that  you  saw  the  sun  shining  on  a 
bay  and  little  islands  covered  with  lilies  floating  on  its 
bosom.  You  look  back,  and  there  is  only  blank  mist. 
But  the  scene  was  the  truth,  the  mist  is  the  illusion. 

And  the  people  have  the  same  way  of  wrapping 
themselves  in  colourless  conventionalities.  That  which 
you  expect  from  them  is  that  which  they  would  wish 
to  show  you,  and  very  likely  all  that  you  will  ever  see. 
But  if  any  shared  emotion  suddenly  draws  you  closer 
together,  then  the  veil  is  rent  away,  you  behold  the 
springs  of  action,  and,  lo!  they  are  those  which  have 
swayed  you  in  the  best  moments  of  your  life ; and,  if 
you  are  honest  and  humble-minded,  you  will  say  in 
}mir  heart,  Brother,  I misjudged  thee.  Perhaps  thou 
art  as  near  to  wisdom  and  to  love  as  I.” 

The  years  of  ' my  stay  in  Japan  were  those  which 
will  count  in  history  as  the  first  of  its  majority.  With 
the  proclamation  of  the  Constitution  on  February  11th, 
1889,  Japan  came  of  age,  and  assumed  her  full  rights 
as  a nation  among  the  nations.  The  war  with  China 


INTRODUCTOEY 


XI 


in  1894  and  1895  showed  that  she  knew  how  to  main- 
tain them.  During  the  unnumbered  centuries  of  her 
silent  past,  the  two  highest  virtues  of  national  life,  love 
of  country  and  sense  of  duty,  had  been  growing,  deep 
and  strong,  in  the  heart  of  the  race.  When  the  call 
to  arms  was  heard,  that  root  shot  up  its  towering 
growth,  and  broke  forth  before  the  astonished  world 
in  the  aloe  flower  of  burning  patriotism,  the  aloe  fruit 
of  hero  deeds  and  hero  faithfulness.  The  aloe  dies  with 
its  rare  blossom ; but  not  until  the  sword-like  shoot  of 
a new  growth  has  given  promise  of  its  resurrection  to 
a future  glory.  The  thunders  and  acclaims  of  war  have 
died  away ; but  the  sense  of  shared  strength  and  shared 
sacrifice,  and  even  the  memory  of  shared  mistakes,  re- 
main. There  is  a new  bond  between  ruler  and  ruled, 
between  rich  and  poor,  between  the  princes  and  the 
people.  And  should  the  years  bring  the  moment  back 
on  their  circling  current,  the  Japanese  people  would 
stand  again,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  to  meet  the  shock. 

I should  like  to  call  this  book  a record  — and  an 
appreciation.  It  deals  mainly  with  events  and  persons 
connected  with  the  different  aspects  of  life  in  the  capi- 
tal, in  which,  naturally,  most  of  our  time  was  passed, 
and  which  is  preeminently  the  centre  of  Japan’s  vitality 
to-day.  I have  described  only  such  places  as  I visited, 
and  more  especially  the  remote  hills  where  we  took 
refuge  from  the  summer  heats,  and  whose  every  turn 
became  as  familiar  and  beloved  as  the  garden  of  my 
childhood.  Ill  health  and  many  ties  of  duty  generally 
put  very  long  journeys  out  of  the  question ; but  the 


Xll 


INTEODUCTORY 


faithful  and  patient  acquaintance  made  with  those  places 
where  my  lines  lay,  and  what  I may  describe  as  the 
gradual  absorption  of  the  life  atmosphere  surrounding 
me,  will,  I hope,  make  up  for  the  fact  that  this  work 
is  in  no  way  a handbook  or  a history,  but  merely  a 
humble  and  faithful  effort  to  transcribe  what  I have 
seen  and  learnt,  and  thus  to  bring  to-day’s  Japan  a 
little  nearer  to  the  understanding  and  sympathy  of 
to-day’s  England. 

The  letters  came  to  a sudden  end  in  the  early  sum- 
mer of  1894,  when  I returned  to  Europe  — alone.  In 
the  shadow  of  a great  grief  one  bright  spot  will  stand 
out  as  long  as  memory  lives — memory  to  recall  the 
inexpressible  kindness  and  vsympathy  of  all  my  friends, 
European  or  Japanese : a sympathy  so  divine  that  it 
robbed  sorrow  of  half  its  bitterness,  a kindness  so  helpful 
and  persistent  that  it  still  reaches  out  across  two  oceans 
to  strengthen  the  link  that  binds  me  to  the  liome  which 
is  home  no  longer.  Dear  people,  dear  kind  friends,  be 
thanked  from  my  heart  once  more  ! 

I must  acknowledge  my  deep  indebtedness  to  Captain 
Brinkley,  the  editor  of  the  Ja2oan  Mail^  for  the  rare  and 
valuable  information  which  makes  it  an  education  on 
Japanese  subjects  to  read  the  collected  volumes  of  his 
excellent  newsjmper.  Two  Japanese  friends.  Miss  O’Yei 
Ozaki  and  Mr.  Yasuoka,  have  given  me  many  a quaint 
legend,  or  detail  of  etiquette  and  family  life,  and  have 
rendered  signal  help  by  going  over  these  letters  with 
me  while  I was  preparing  them  for  publication.  As  for 
books,  the  just  and  invaluable  work  of  Rein  has  always 


INTEODUCTOEY 


Xlll 


been  my  companion ; the  Murray  s Ja'pan  published  in 
1891  was  compiled  by  Professor  Chamberlain  and  W.  B. 
Mason,  both  profound  scholars  of  the  language  and  his- 
tory of  Japan,  and  is  as  it  were  a good  starting-point 
from  which  to  read  and  study  in  different  directions ; 
the  enchanting  books  of  Mr.  Lafcadio  Hearn  appeared 
after  I left  Japan,  and  take  me  back  there  whenever 
1 open  their  pages  ; and  most  helpful  is  Mr.  von  AY enck- 
stern’s  Bihliocjraioliy  of  Jay^an^  giving  four  hundred  pages 
to  recording  and  classifying  the  mere  titles  of  the  books 
which  have  been  written  about  the  Island  Empire. 

MAEY  CEAWFOED  FEASEE. 

The  Warren,  Torrington. 

1898. 


CONTENTS  TO  VOL.  I 


CHAPTER  1 

PAGE 

The  Inland  Sea— Mist  Pictures — A Fleet  of  Junks  — At  the  Heart  of 
Things  — A City  of  Gardens  — The  Wistaria  Temple  — A Feast 
for  Hungry  Spirits  — Mail  Day 1 

CHAPTER  II 

The  Xew  Imperial  Palace  — An  Audience  with  the  Empress  — Count 
Ito’s  Garden  Party  — Kyosai,  a Japanese  Artist  — A Fair  — Fire- 
fly Stories  — Fanatics  and  their  Victims  — A Dynamite  Offering  . 18 

CHAPTER  III 

Summer  Rains  in  Tokyo  — The  Fall  of  the  Tokugawa  Shoguns  and 
the  End  of  Feudalism  — Sir  Harry  Parkes  and  Count  Goto  — 
Origin  of  Consular  Jurisdiction  — The  Samurai  oi  Yesterday  and 
the  Soshi  of  To-day  — The  Empress’s  Charities  — A Society  for 
the  Correction  of  Morals 45 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Sea  Temples  of  Miyajima  — The  Spirit  of  Peace  — The  Prince 
Imperial  — The  Last  of  the  Shoguns  — English  acclimatised  — 

The  Queen  of  Mountains  — Street  Sights  and  Sounds  — The 
Tsukiji  Orphanage 66 


CHAPTER  V 

On  the  Way  to  Atami  — Forgotten  Passports  — From  the  Windows  of 
the  Higuchi  Hotel — The  Geyser  and  its  Habits — Lilies  and  Sea- 
falcons  89 


XV 


XVI 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VI 

PAGE 

Atami’s  Temple  and  its  Grove  — The  Great  Camphor  Tree  — The 
Legend  of  the  Boiling  Spring  — A Night  Festival,  a Dancer,  and 
a Raid 109 


CHAPTER  VII 

Our  Return  to  Tokyo  — A Strange  Situation  — Dogs  and  Cats  in 
Japan  — Comedies  of  the  Servants’  Quarters  — Doctor  Baelz  and 
his  Medical  Students  — Tokyo’s  Three-hundredth  Birthday  — 
Uyeno  and  its  Story 123 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Miyanoshita — A Chair  Journey  through  the  Woods  — A Resting-place 
in  the  Forest  — Hot  Springs  and  Wood-carvers’  Shops  — Family 
Life  — A Pretty  Picture  — The  Sulphur  Valley  — Time  to  go 
Home,  and  the  Autumn  Typhoon 146 

CHAPTER  IX 

The  Attack  on  Count  Okuma  — Soshi  Agitation  — The  Campos  Inci- 
dent— A Concert  and  a Charity  — The  Saddest  Thing  in  Japan 
— Father  Testevuide  and  the  Leper  Hospital  at  Gotemba  — 
Japanese  Helpers 169 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Maples  at  Last  — The  Maple  Club — A Reception  Day  at  the 
Palace — Manners,  Eastern  and  Western  — Artistic  Confectionery 
— The  Maid  of  Honour’s  Dolls  — Chrysanthemum  Gardens  — A 
Unique  Specimen  — Flower  Groups — Family  Life  in  the  Little 
Homes  — “ A Party  for  making  Tea  in  Old  Age  ” ....  185 

CHAPTER  XI 

The  Empress-Dowager  and  her  Mushroom-hunting  — IMushroom  Pic- 
nics on  Inari-Yama  — The  Tosa  Monkeys  — The  Prince  Imperial 
and  the  Ceremony  called  Rittaishi — A Sword  of  State  — Count 
Yamagata  — Prince  and  Princess  Sanjo  — The  Five  Regent 
Families 205 


CONTENTS 


xvii 


CHAPTER  XII 

PAGE 

Sir  Edvviir  Arnold,  a Baby,  and  the  Japanese  Grammar — How  Coun- 
tess Kuroda’s  Portrait  was  painted  — “Very  Old,  over  Twenty” 

— My  Second  Visit  to  Atami  — A Vision  of  Fuji  — Forgotten 
Medals  — The  Attack  on  the  Legation  in  1861  ....  223 


CHAPTER  XIII 

New  Year’s  Day  at  the  Palace  — A Christmas  Tree  — Japanese  Chil- 
dren— “Come  back  Next  Year” 243 


CHAPTER  XIV 

New  Y^'ear’s  Customs  and  Presents  — Propitious  Dreams,  and  how 
Masako  bought  One — The  Dream  of  Suinin  — Prohibition  of 
Duelling  — Feudal  Ideals  — Pictures  of  a Daimyo’s  Life  — “Eyes 
speak  better  than  Words” 260 

CHAPTER  XV 

A Cabinet  Minister  and  a Fortified  Carriage  — A Memorial  to  the 
Throne  — Count  Ito  and  Treaty  Revision — The  Japanese  Spring 
— “The  Eldest  Brother  of  the  Hundred  Flowers”  — Popular 
Festivals 277 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Girls’  Month — Origin  of  the  Dolls’  Festival  — A Wonderful  Show 
— The  Japanese  Girl  and  her  Upbringing  — Wives  and  Mothers- 
in-law  — O’Sudzu’s  Divorce  — “ Flame  is  the  Flower  of  Yedo  ” . 297 

CHAPTER  XVII 

The  Spring  Manoeuvres  — Opening  of  the  Uyeno  Exhibition  — An- 
cient and  Modern  Art  in  Japan  — Ivories  and  Enamels  — The 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Connaught 323 


XVlll 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

PAGE 

Danjuro,  a Great  Actor  — His  Position  in  Japan  — A Foundation  Stone 
— The  Destruction  of  Japanese  Ideals  by  English  Education  — 
Prince  Komatsu  and  Two  Imperial  Orders  — Departure  of  the 
Duke  and  Duchess  of  Connaught  — A^Very  Sad  Story  . . . 346 

CHAPTER  XIX 

Kamakura,  To-day  and  Yesterday  — The  Strange  Adventures  of  Yori- 
tomo  — Masako’s  Mirror  and  a Wonderful  Dream  — Yoritomo’s 
Triumph  — “Death  has  conquered” — A Moonlight  Pilgrimage  — 

The  Great  Buddha — Kwannon,  the  Lover  of  Humanity  . . 363 

CHAPTER  XX 

The  Beach  at  Kamakura  — Little  Shell-gatherers  — Hauling  in  the 
Nets  — The  Fishermen’s  Pensioners  — The  Sword  of  Nitta  — 

The  Temple  of  Hachiman  — Sanetomo  and  Yoriiye  — The  Death 
of  Sanetomo 379 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS 


VOL.  I 


PAGE 


The  Maple  Girl  .... 

. 

Frontispiece 

The  British  Legation  in  Tokyo  . 

5 

A Pine  Branch  .... 

7 

Wistaria  Blooms  .... 

9 

The  Kameido  Temple  . 

13 

The  Holy  Bridge  .... 

15 

Approach  to  the  Palace 

19 

H.  I.  M.  The  Emperor  of  Japan  . 

24 

H.  I.  M.  The  Empress  of  Japan  . 

• 

25 

Mr.  Sannomiya  .... 

• 

27 

A Bit  of  Bronze  .... 

• 

29 

Little  Acrobats  .... 

30 

Drawing  by  Kyosai 

• 

33 

Drawing  by  Kyosai  . . • 

• 

• 

35 

Drawing  by  Kyosai  . • 

• 

• 

36 

Drawing  by  Kyosai  . . 

• 

• 

37 

Firefly  Catching  .... 

• • 

39 

Empress  of  the  Past 

• • 

47 

A Lady  of  the  Court  in  Kyoto  . 

• • 

• 

50 

Count  Goto 

• • 

• 

54 

A Samurai  Warrior 

• • 

• 

57 

Charity  Committee 

63 

At  Miyajima 

67 

The  Prince  Imperial  at  Ten  Years  of 

Age 

71 

An  Advertisement  .... 

77 

Piling  Timber  .... 

82 

The  Child  of  a Mixed  Marriage  . 

83 

A Rich  Pensionnaire 

87 

XIX 


XX 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Lotus  Flower  in  the  Rain 

Our  Passport 

A Student  

Picking  the  “ Honourable  ” Tea  . 

The  Geyser,  Atami  . . . . 

On  the  Atami  Sands  . . . . 

Kwan-on 

A Cloth  Shop 

Dancing 

A Landing-place 

A Processional  Car 

Gheta  or  Clog  Shop  . . . . 

A Japanese  Lady  and  her  Pet  Dog 

The  Hall 

A Fortune-teller 

The  Toshogu  Shrine,  Uyeno  Park 
Peasants  returning  from  the  Woods 
The  Road  to  Miyanoshita 

Alew  of  Riga 

In  the  Woods 

The  Smoking  Valley,  Ojigoku 

Bamboo  and  Vine 

The  Heart  of  the  Typhoon  . 

A Soshi  

Blind  Beggars 

Dr.  Baelz 

Father  Testevuide 

On  the  Road  to  Gotemba 

Maples 

Maple  Leaves 

The  God  of  Lightning  . . . . 

The  Ship  of  Happiness  .... 
The  Evening  IMeal  .... 

A Reflection 

A Mushroom  Picnic  .... 
The  Monkey  who  stole  the  Mushrooms 

The  Stork 

The  Carp 


PAGB 

. 90 

. 92 

. 97 

. 101 
. 105 
. 107 
. 113 
. 115 
, 119 
. 122 
. 126 
. 128 
. 131 
. 131 
. 137 
. 143 
. 144 
. 148 
. 153 
. 158 
. 161 
. 163 
. 165 
. 173 
. 177 
. 180 
. 181 
. 183 
. 187 
. 191 
. 196 
. 199 
. 201 
. 208 
. 211 
. 213 
. 214 
. 215 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTKATIONS  xxi 

PAGE 

The  Prince  Imperial  at  a Recent  Date 216 

Viscount  Aoki 218 

The  Countess  Kuroda  in  Court  Dress 225 

After  the  Snowstorm . . . 230 

A Kago  Journey  — in  Summer 231 

Fuji  in  Snow . 233 

Figure  of  Buddha  carved  in  the  Rock  near  Hakone  . . . 235 

The  Chancery  House 237 

Ferry  Boats  near  Takanawa 239 

A Palace  Official  244 

A Tree  Peony 245 

Some  Japanese  Children 248 

“Treasure  Flowers” 251 

Some  Japanese  Babies 255 

Putting  up  the  Lanterns 259 

The  Home  of  the  Pine  Trees 261 

New  Year’s  Wares . 263 

The  Rabbit  and  the  Monkey  who  live  in  the  Moon  ....  266 

Warrior  with  Crescent 269 

Antique  Robe,  Kimono  Back 271 

The  Daimyo  accepts  a Present 274 

Street  in  Winter 276 

Count  (now  Marquis)  Ito 281 

Ume  San  conies  running  out  to  gather  the  First  Blossoms  of  her 

Sister  Namesake 283 

Presenting  the  Tree  with  a Poem  in  Praise  of  the  Spring  . . 287 

A Moonlight  Picnic 292 

A Rice  Field 294 

Antique  State  Costume 296 

Arranging  the  Dolls 299 

My  Little  Hostess 302 

Japanese  Girls  of  To-day 303 

A Quiet  Home 305 

An  Embroidered  Robe 309 

A Fire 315 

Carpenters  at  Work 319 

A Fireplace  in  the  Floor 321 

At  the  Manoeuvres 324 


XXll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

A Farm  and  Cornfield  with  Paper  Flags  for  Scarecrows  . . . 327 

A Drawing  by  Kyosai 331 

A Drawing  by  Kyosai 332 

A Drawing  by  Kyosai 334 

A Drawing  by  Kyosai 335 

Bringing  Home  the  Blossoms 337 

Cherry  Trees  in  Uyeno  Park 339 

Inspector  Peacock 344 

The  Duke  of  Connaught 349 

The  Duchess  of  Connaught  . 353 

A Corner  of  the  Drawing-room 356 

“ Evil  Spirits  without  ’’ 360 

Out  for  a Walk 365 

A Lonely  Pine  Tree 367 

The  Night  before  a Battle 371 

Buddha 375 

On  the  Shore 381 

Nitta  throwing  his  Sword  into  the  Sea 386 

The  Temple  of  Hachiman,  at  Kamakura  ......  389 

Tortoise 394 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAI^ 


CHAPTER  I 


INLAND  SEA. — MIST  PICTUEES.  — A FLEET  OF  JUNKS.  — AT 
THE  HEART  OF  THINGS.  — A CITY  OF  GARDENS. — THE 
WISTARIA  TEMPLE.  — A FEAST  FOR  HUNGRY  SPIRITS. — 
MAIL  DAY 


AM  no  longer  homesick,  so  I know  that  the  journey 


is  nearly  done,  and  the  new  country  is  draiving  me  as 
the  sun  draws  the  sunflowers  in  the  old  gardens  at  home. 
I am  looking  forward  to  seeing  this  new  old  friend, 
Japan,  with  the  certainty  of  happiness  which  absolutely 
fresh  surroundings  always  bring  me;  for,  dearly  as  I 
love  the  old,  I love  the  new  still  better,  and  can 
hardly  imagine  a care  or  trouble  which  I could  not  lay 
aside  amid  beautiful  scenery  first  beheld.  But  I am  a 
little  afraid  of  Japan!  I would  rather  not  have  a host 
of  first  impressions  of  the  ordinary  kind,  which,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  satisfy  meagre  minds,  and  prevent  their 
ever  really  understanding  new  places  and  races.  I have 
talked  to  people  who  had  brought  nothing  away  from 
Japan  but  the  recollection  of  a waiting-maid  and  a tea- 
house, or  one  brain  photograph  of  a short  dark  man 


At  Sea,  April,  1889. 


1 


B 


VOL.  I 


2 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


dressed  in  unbecoming  clothes.  Others  have  seen  a pro- 
cession, or  a dinner  with  chopsticks,  or  a missionary 
school,  and  keep  all  their  lives  one  silly  memory  of  the 
strangest  country  in  the  world.  And  — I have  thought 
that  perhaps  “Little  Japan”  had  been  laughing  at 
them ! I hope  she  will  not  laugh  at  me.  I should 
like  to  understand  a little,  to  love  or  hate,  to  praise 
discerningly  or  condemn  dispassionately  — to  make  a 
friend,  in  fine. 

Aj)ril  30/^. 

I think  the  friendship  has  begun.  The  landing  at 
Nagasaki  and  the  sight  of  the  Inland  Sea  have  upset 
all  my  wise  resolutions  about  first  impressions.  The 
only  thing  that  came  to  me  as  I stepped  on  shore  at 
Nagasaki  was  a fit  of  really  light-hearted  laughter  — 
laughter  of  the  joyous  and  unreasonable  kind  whose 
tax  is  mostly  paid  in  tears.  Life  suddenly  presented 
itself  as  a thing  of  fun  and  joy : the  people,  the  shops, 
the  galloping  jinriksha  coolies,  the  toy  houses  treated 
as  serious  dwellings  by  fathers  of  families,  all  combined 
to  give  me  a day  of  the  purest  amusement  that  has* 
ever  been  granted  to  me  yet.  For  sixpence  I would 
have  changed  places  with  a seller  of  cakes  whom  I 
met  in  the  road.  His  clothes  were  of  the  impressionist 
kind,  some  rather  slight  good  intentions  carried  out  in 
cool  blue  cotton,  the  rest  being  brown  man  and  straw 
sandals.  He  carried  a fairy  temple  built  of  snowy  wood 
and  delicate  paper,  with  a willow  branch  for  a dusting- 
brush, and  little  drawers,  full  of  sweets,  which  pulled 
out  in  every  direction,  as  white  and  close-fitting  as  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


3 


petals  of  a moon-dahlia.  All  his  dainty  wares  were 
white  or  pink,  and  at  a distance  one  might  have  mistaken 
him  and  his  shrine  of  sweets  for  a bundle  of  lotus,  blooms 
on  two  brown  stems.  It  seemed  unwise  to  change 
places  with  him,  and  might  have  caused  confusion  in 

the  family ; but  I was  sorry  that  H would  not 

let  me  buy  him,  pack  and  all,  and  stand  him  up  in  the 
hall  of  the  new  home  in  Tokyo  as  my  first  curio. 

And  now  we  are  in  the  Inland  Sea ; and  it  seems 
to  me  that  I have  been  taken  to  the  heart  of  the 
country,  have  seen  the  very  essence  of  its  beauty  and 
remoteness,  have  been  set  in  the  presence  of  that  by 
which  it  would  choose  to  be  judged.  Our  first  hours 
were  misty,  and  the  sea  was  rough ; but  the  mists 
rolled  back  from  one  dream  picture  after  another,  and 
each  was  so  lovely  that  one  forgot  to  regret  the  last. 
Of  all  the  things  that  I have  seen  none  are  so  individ- 
ually and  weirdly  beautiful  as  these  pine-fringed  hills 
of  Japan,  with  their  delicate,  daring  profiles  rising 
in  curves  and  points  that  no  Western  mountain  ever 
knew,  crowned  with  pines  following  each  other  in  lei- 
surely succession,  and  holding  out  dark-green  branches 
for  the  mists  to  tear  on,  or  coppery  golden  arms  for 
the  sun  to  strike.  The  mists  are  not  thick  rolling 
fogs  like  ours ; they  wave  and  hang,  part  and  cling 
together,  curl  away  from  a breeze  or  sink  back  on  a 
calm  like  a thousand  veils  of  fine  gauze,  each  moving 
with  a will  of  its  own. 

It  was  a great  deal  to  learn  all  that  at  once,  to 
realise  that  the  mist  pictures  of  the  Japanese  are  not 


4 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


fairy  dreams,  but  faithful  presentments  of  nature.  Yet 
another  and  still  stranger  sight  was  in  store  for  me. 
A fresh  wind  came  tearing  down  some  watercourse  in 
the  hills ; it  swept  under  the  brooding  mists,  and 
rolled  them  up  like  a scroll;  and  then  — we  were  on 
a sparkling  sea,  flooded  with  sunshine,  enclosed  by 
green  mountains,  and  dotted  with  innumerable  islands. 
On  one,  just  before  us,  a lovely  temple  with  a red  torii 
(gate)  stood  right  out  on  the  flood,  which  bathed  the 
feet  of  its  sentinel  pines.  The  deep  was  suddenly 
covered  with  what  seemed  like  a flotilla  of  white  nau- 
tilus shells,  with  sails  all  set,  closing  in  round  us  with 
a flutter  of  wings,  and  the  cool  music  of  a hundred 
prows  rushing  through  the  water  in  the  sun.  Every 
fishing-boat  from  every  village  had  put  out  on  that 
liberating  breeze,  and  the  moving  crowd  of  silver  sails  on 
the  morning  sea  made  a sight  too  bewildering  to  paint 
in  words.  The  peculiar  warm  sheen  of  the  junk  sails, 
square  above  and  round  below,  made  in  long  strips, 
seamed  and  held  together  in  a thousand  lovely  patterns 
by  the  interlacing  ropes  strained  against  the  breeze, 
gave  the  impression  of  a web  of  silver  against  the 
blue ; and  the  calm  majesty  of  the  silky  rush  on  the 
water’s  surface  made  me  feel  that  our  great  coal-fed, 
screw-driven  liner  was  a blot  on  the  universe,  and  had 
no  title  to  travel  with  that  fair  company. 

They,  indeed,  took  little  notice  of  the  Verona,  and 
treated  us  with  gay  disdain.  They  pressed  in  on  every 
side,  till  we  were  completely  surrounded  by  them,  thick 
on  the  tide  as  the  white  lotus  blooms  that  smother 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


the  marble  bridge  in  the  pond  of  the  Summer  Palace. 
Then  the  wind  changed,  and  they  all  floated  away 
in  a wide  half  circle,  Avhich  became  a fringe  of  stars 
on  the  water  after  the  night  came  down. 


Tokyo,  May  otli. 

I feel  that  the  date  at  the  head  of  this  letter 
should  mark  an  epoch  in  my  experience ; but  I am 


THE  BRITISH  LEGATION  IN  TOKYO 


still  too  new  to  these  strange  airs  to  give  any  clear 
account  of  what  I have  seen,  am  seeing  all  the  time. 
I cannot  imagine  a better  cure  for  weariness  of  spirit 
than  a first  visit  to  Japan.  The  country  is  absolutely 
fresh.  All  that  one  has  read  or  heard  fails  to  give 
any  true  impression  of  this  vivid  youngness  of  an 


6 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


atmosphere  where  things  seem  to  sort  themselves  out 
in  their  real,  and,  to  me,  new  values. 

We  reached  Yokohama  on  the  1st,  and  came  up 
here  at  once.  As  scenery  Yokohama  does  not  exist,  so 
we  will  not  talk  about  it;  but  Tokyo  is  enchanting  — 
so  far ! It  strikes  me  as  a city  of  gardens,  where  streets 
and  houses  have  grown  up  by  accident  — and  are  of  no 
importance  as  compared  with  the  flowers  still.  How 
shall  I describe  it,  so  that  you  in  Rome  can  see  it, 
dear  people  ? 

As  I write,  here  on  my  upstairs  verandah,  so  wide 
and  cool  that  every  breeze  sweeps  through  it  from  end 
to  end,  and  yet  so  sheltered  that  I can  wander  about 
and  work  or  read  in  absolute  privacy,  I am,  as  it  were, 
at  the  heart  of  things ; for  there  to  my  left,  across  the 
green  banks  of  the  moat,  and  hid  in  the  impenetrable 
foliage  of  the  gardens,  is  the  Emperor’s  new  Palace, 
which  I am  to  see  in  a few  days  when  we  have  our 
audience.  It  stands,  as  in  honour  bound,  higher  than 
any  of  the  streets  and  buildings  which  lie  round  the 
first  moat ; but  no  single  gable  can  be  seen  above 
the  dark  roofs  of  the  pines,  round  whose  red  knees 
the  smaller  trees  cling  jealously  lest  any  glimpse  of  the 
life  Imperial  reach  the  outer  world.  All  round  the 
crest  of  the  hill  run  high  walls,  with  here  and  there  a 
beautiful  gate.  There  is  one,  almost  opposite  our  own, 
of  ancient  wood,  soft  and  dull  in  colour,  bound  and 
hinged  by  sheets  of  beaten  copper,  which  have  taken 
on  that  wonderful  blue  patina  that  our  old  bronzes  have 
in  Rome.  Above  the  gate  the  prophetic  pines  stretch 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


their  branches  down  to  where  the  bank  slopes  away 
in  a hundred  yards  of  sheer  green  turf  to  the  water 
of  the  moat.  Here  and  there  a pine  or  a cherry  tiee 
has  been  set,  and  some  hang  far  over  and  dip  in  the 
water.  Beneath  their  shade  live  a pair  of  white  herons 


(I  am  sure  they  are  royal  lovers  of  the  ancient  time, 


swim 


bewitched  by  evil  spells);  and  on  the  water  s 
great  flocks  of  wild 
duck,  tame,  because 
no  shot  may  be 
fired  within  sound 
of  the  Palace,  but 
just  now  very  much 
preoccupied  as  to 
summer  quarters, 
and  talking  noisily 
all  day  as  to  the  re- 
spective merits  of 
the  Kurile  Islands, 

Mongolia,  and  Kam- 
schatka.  They  can- 
not stay  much  longer,  for  the  heat  is  all  but  upon  us. 
(Are  the  swallows  circling  through  your  Roman  sky  ? 
May  would  not  be  May  without  them.) 

As  I said  just  now,  we  are  at  the  heart  of  things. 
For  nearly  three  hundred  years  the  tide  of  national  life 
has  set  towards  what  was  a humble  fishing  village  (the 
name  means  the  door  of  the  bay)  till  Hideyoshi,  the 
great  usurper,  pointed  ifc  out  to  his  marshal  lyey asu  as 
a stronger  and  more  central  spot  than  the  Castle  of 


A PINE  BRANCH 


8 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


Odawara,  which  had  fallen  into  their  hands  at  the  end 
of  some  murderous  civil  war.  It  seems  to  me  that 
Tokyo,  as  I see  it  from  my  balconies,  with  its  triple 
ring  of  shallow  moats  spanned  by  scores  of  solid 
bridges,  with  its  vast  area,  and  many  miles  of  meander- 
ing streets  and  gardens,  would  be  easier  to  take  than 
to  defend.  Here  and  there,  indeed,  is  some  piece  of 
gigantic  wall,  built  with  uncemented  blocks  like  those 
in  the  ager  of  Servius  Tullius  in  our  old  villa  at  home; 
but  it  generally  frames  in  a wide  gate,  through  which 
the  armies  of  the  world  could  ride  with  comfort.  I 
should  think  it  would  take  all  the  soldiers  whom  Napo- 
leon slew  to  keep  a fairly  persistent  invader  out  of 
Tokyo  to-day.  But  I have  not  often  seen  a fairer 
city.  Hill  and  valley,  wood  and  water,  wild-rose  hedge 
and  bamboo  grove,  stately  pleasure-house  and  small 
brown  cottage,  palms  and  pines  and  waving  willows  — 
there  the  hills,  leading  up  to  the  mountain  of  moun- 
tains, and  there  the  sea,  a silver  line  that  speaks  of 
home,  — it  all  goes  to  make  a picture  so  splendid  in 
its  breadth,  and  so  alluring  in  its  details,  that  I feel 
it  is  already  growing  into  my  mind  as  a necessary 
background  to  certain  trains  of  thought.  I am  glad 
that  we  have  come  to  stay  for  years,  instead  of  having 
to  rush  away  in  a few  weeks,  as  so  many  travellers  do. 

Our  audience  is  fixed  for  the  17th  ; and  as  our  social 

existence  only  really,  begins  after  H has  presented 

his  credentials,  I am  taking  advantage  of  the  interven- 
ing time  to  see  all  the  flower  shows  and  sights  of  the 
month.  Beyond  the  17th,  life  seems  one  long  per- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


9 


spective  of  dinner  and  garden  parties,  of  which  I will 
tell  yon  Avhen  they  come  — meanwhile  I am  enjoy- 
ing myself ! Our  own  gardens  are  quite  lovely  just 
now,  with  arbours  of  wistaria, 
and  azaleas  bursting  out  in 
masses  of  white  and  pink 
and  orange  blooms,  while  the 
great  bed  of  lilies-of-the-valley 
outside  the  dining-room  win- 
dows makes  the  whole  air 
sweet  round  that  side  of  the 
house.  The  lilies  were  a sur- 
prise to  me.  They  do  not 
grow  in  this  part  of  Japan, 
but  were  brought  down  from 
Hakodate,  where  they  are 
v^ery  plentiful,  and  have  flour- 
ished and  multiplied  in  the 
shady  corner  near  the  house. 

That  is  the  corner  presided 
over  by  poor  Sir  Harry  Parkes’ 
enormous  watch-tower,  which 
he  built  as  a fitting  place 
from  which  to  fly  the  British 
Flag.  (Out  here  we  always 
write  it  with  a capital  F.) 

The  emblem  of  empire  would, 
it  seems,  have  been  flying  some  inches  higher  than  the 
Imperial  roofs,  so  that  project  had  to  be  abandoned,  and 
the  Flagstaff  was  planted  on  a mound  at  the  other  end 


WISTARIA  BLOOMS 


10 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


of  the  grounds,  where  it  looks  very  dignified  and  business- 
like, and  is  known  by  the  name  of  Hainan’s  Gallows. 
But  the  tower  remains,  and  serves  as  a reserv'oir  for 
water,  and  as  a constant  reminder  of  the  precariousness 
of  life  in  these  earthquake  regions.  It  has  been  cracked 
rather  seriously  in  the  many  shocks,  and  is  bound 
and  clamped  with  iron  in  every  direction.  They  say 
it  is  safe  enough ; but  in  some  slight  shocks  which 
we  have  already  felt,  it  seems  to  set  all  that  side 
of  the  house  dancing  and  trembling  ominously. 

I am  not  new  to  earthquakes,  and  we  have  had  no 
very  alarming  ones  here  as  yet ; but  the  Japanese 
papers  are  unkindly  promising  us  a severe  visitation 
shortly.  It  seems  that  the  shocks  are  felt  very  strongly 
in  Tokyo,  as  they  are  in  all  places  where  there  is  a 
large  area  of  soft  alluvial  soil ; and  (consoling  rider !) 
our  house  stands,  so  I am  told,  exactly  where  they  all 
pass,  no  matter  whence  the  current  comes  or  whither 
it  tends.  It  may  be  a distinction  to  live  over  a kind 
of  Seismic  Junction;  but  it  is  bad  for  the  nerves  — and 
the  china! 

I have  not  yet  made  the  acquaintance  of  any  of  the 
Japanese  ladies.  The  Ministers’  wives  all  called  at 
about  nine  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  the  2nd ; but  I 
was  not  prepared  for  such  an  auhaine,  and  they  were 
probably  rather  shocked  to  hear  that  I was  not  yet 
dressed.  I hope  to  see  something  of  them,  if  we  can 
only  manage  to  understand  one  another.  It  is  terrible 
to  me  to  be  dumb  in  a new  country.  I have  not  ex- 
perienced such  a sensation  since  we  landed  at  Tientsin 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


11 


many  years  ago.  Our  local  authorities  on  the  language 
look  at  me  with  indulgent  pity  when  I announce  that 
I mean  to  learn  it.  The  Japanese  Secretary  (that  is 
to  say,  the  Englishman  who  superintends  the  Japanese 
side  of  the  Chancery)  shakes  his  head,  and  tells  me  that, 
thougli  he  has  been  working  at  it  for  seventeen  years, 
though  lie  has  translated  three  dictionaries  and  is  now 
publishing  one  of  his  own,  though  he  is  examiner-in-chief 
for  the  Consular  Service,  he  feels  that  he  is  but  at  the 
beginning  still,  and  that  many  lifetimes  would  not  put 
him  absolutely  in  possession  of  the  whole  language  as 
it  is  used  by  the  learned  Japanese  to-day. 


May  \2th. 

I already  feel  quite  like  an  old  resident  here ; but 
that  does  not  prevent  me  from  having  a hundred  sur- 
prises a day.  We  have  been  driving  about  a good 
deal,  and  I begin  to  know  a few  landmarks  in  the  town. 
Our  first  drive,  indeed,  was  quite  a sensational  afiair. 
We  had  arranged  to  try  some  very  pretty  and  only 
half-broken  ponies,  and  for  a little  while  it  seemed 
doubtful  whether  we  or  they  should  really  be  broken 
first ; then  I found  constant  excitement  in  watching 
our  groom  racing  along  in  front  of  the  horses,  lifting 
fat  babies  out  of  the  middle  of  the  road  where  they 
sat  confidingly,  leading  deaf  old  women  politely  to  one 
side,  and  apparently  saving  a life  once  in  every  ten 
yards.  What  legs  and  lungs  the  man  must  have,  to 
come  in,  as  he  did,  fresh  and  undistressed  after  miles 
of  this  sort  of  thing ! 


12 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


I am  trying  to  learn  my  servants’  names,  but  have 
as  yet  only  managed  a part  of  two.  Rinzo  is  a kind 
of  head  boy,  who  says,  Okusama,  yes ! ” to  every 
question,  command,  or  reproach ; and  O’Matsu,  his 
wife,  is  trying  to  teach  my  new  English  maid  to  wait 
on  me.  The  Japanese  woman  already  knows  all  my 
ways,  and  finds  enough  to  do  to  fill  up  the  tasks 
neglected  by  the  other  girl,  who  has  but  one  real  taste 
in  life  — her  own  amusement. 

I have  had  a list  made  of  the  other  servants’  names, 
and  keep  it  at  hand  for  reference ; but  I think  it  is 
wasted  trouble.  I have  only  to  cry  ^^Boy!”  or  ‘^Amah!” 
after  the  old  barbarian  fashion,  and  immediately  I am 
surrounded  by  obedient  genii,  much  nicer  than  those 
who  waited  on  Aladdin,  for  mine  smile  and  bow  grate- 
fully every  time  they  are  spoken  to.  The  speech  may 
be  quite  unintelligible,  but  they  would  rather  die  than 
confess  it ; at  once  they  fly  oft,  and  do  something  or 
other  just  to  show  their  goodwill.  The  amah  brings 
tea  or  a shawl  whenever  the  bell  is  rung;  so  I con- 
clude that  her  last  mistress  was  an  invalid.  One  of 
the  “ boys,”  who  has  lived  with  a bachelor,  ahvays 
answers  the  summons  with  a brandy-and-soda  an  grand 
galop  — let  us  not  ask  the  name  of  that  bachelor! 

We  are  late  for  the  cherry  blossoms,  and  must  wait 
till  next  year  to  see  tliem  in  their  glory ; but,  when 
the  wind  blows,  the  petals  are  stirred  from  where  they 
have  been  lying  in  rosy  heaps  at  the  trees’  feet,  and 
go  whirling  down  the  paths  like  belated  snowflakes. 
It  is  really  wistaria-time,  and  I have  been  out  to  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


13 


Kameido  Temple  to  look  at  the  famous  arbours  there. 
It  is  a lovely  and  amazing  sight.  The  Temple  grounds 
consist  chiefly  of  flagged  paths  running  round  great 
tanks  of  water,  shaded  from  end  to  end  by  a thick  roof 
of  drooping  flowers.  The  pale-purple  clusters  grow  so 
thick  that  no  glimpse  of  sky  is  visible  between  them, 


THE  KAMEIDO  TEMPLE 


and  their  odorous  fringes  hang  four  and  five  feet  deep 
in  many  places.  Little  breezes  lift  them  here  and  there, 
and  sway  the  blooms  about,  so  as  to  show  the  soft 
shadings  from  pale  lilac  to  dark  purple ; and  the  flowers 
as  they  move  shed  drift  after  drift  of  loose  petals  down 
on  the  water,  where  the  fat  red  goldfish  come  up, 
expecting  to  be  fed  with  lard  cakes  and  rice  balls. 


14 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


Low  seats  and  tables  covered  with  scarlet  cloths  are  set 
by  the  edges  of  the  tanks,  and  here  j^eople  can  refresh 
themselves  with  tea  and  scilie  (rice  beer)  as  they  sit  to 
admire  the  flowers. 

We  found  at  one  corner  an  arbour  entireh^  overgrown 
with  the  white  wistaria,  which  delighted  me  by  its  ethe- 
real purity.  Why  is  it  that  flowers  which  are  usually 
deep  in  colour,  such  as  wistaria  or  violets  or  pomegran- 
ates, are  so  astonishingl}^  white,  when  the  fancy  takes 
them  to  leave  their  proper  colour  behind  ? White  violets, 
white  wistaria,  seem  whiter  than  anvthincy  has  a rio^ht 
to  be  in  a sinful  world,  and  new-fallen  snow  would  look 
almost  dark  beside  a young  white  pomegranate ! 

This  Kameido  Temple  seems  poor  and  dusty,  and  is 
dedicated  to  more  than  one  misty  divinity ; but  the 
memory  of  a great  scholar  shares  the  chief  honours  with 
a marble  tortoise  and  two  stone  ponies.  There  is  a 
very  high  bridge  over  the  central  waterway,  a bridge 
which  describes  exactly  half  a circle,  with  only  slight 
bars  cut  in  the  stone  by  which  to  mount  and  descend. 
When  we  approached  it,  every  head  was  turned  towards 
us.  My  companion  was  Mrs.  N , a tall  and  hand- 

some woman,  who  affects  in  her  dress  a good  deal  of 
brilliant  colour  such  as  is  not  worn  by  grown-up  persons 
here ; so  there  was  perhaps  some  excuse  for  the  staring. 
She  and  I wished  to  reach  the  other  side  of  the  grounds, 
and,  like  brave  women,  made  for  the  most  direct  path 
towards  it,  followed  by  the  interpreter  and  our  hetto 
(groom),  both  looking  surprised  and  pleased.  AVe  scram- 
bled up  with  some  little  difficulty,  remarking  to  each 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


15 


other  that  one  must  be  prepared  for  everything  in  these 
strange  places ; but  when  we  reached  the  top,  and  looked 
down  on  the  other  side,  our  hearts  misgave  us.  It 
was  very  dusty  and  very  steep,  we  were  both  wearing 
nice  little  high-heeled  shoes  and  fluhy  silk  skirts,  and 
— a delighted  crowd  had  assembled  to  watch  us  de- 


ni e HOLY  BKI1>GE 

scend.  The  situation  was  a little  strained.  We  did 
get  down  without  a tumble,  for  which  we  were  properly 
grateful ; but  I am  afraid  it  was  not  a dignified  pro- 
ceeding, and  after  it  was  accomplished  we  learnt  that 
there  was  another  way  round,  and  that  the  crossing  of 
this  dreadful  little  bridge  was  never  undertaken  except 
as  an  act  of  special  devotion  to  the  misty  divinities  of 
the  Temple.  Our  attendants’  surprise  and  pleasure  were 


16 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


explained ; but  Mrs.  N and  I came  home  rather 

soberly. 

I must  tell  you  of  a strange  and  touching  ceremony 
which  took  place  in  Yokohama  the  other  day.  This 
was  a requiem  service  in  a Buddhist  temple,  for  the 
repose  of  the  souls  of  a number  of  officers  and  men 
who  were  drowned  when  the  U.S.  warship  Oneida  was 
sunk,  by  a collision  with  a P.  & 0.  steamer,  just  in 
the  mouth  of  the  bay  nineteen  years  ago.  Lately  the 
wreck  was  bought  by  some  Japanese  gentlemen,  who 
discovered  the  bones  of  many  poor  fellows  who  had 
gone  down  in  her.  These  they  brought  to  shore,  and 
buried  beside  the  bodies  of  their  comrades  which  had 
been  recovered  after  the  misfortune.  Having  laid  the 
bones  to  rest,  they  thought  that  it  would  be  kind  to 
do  something  for  the  sailors’  souls,  and  organised  at 
their  own  expense  a magnificent  requiem  service  called 
Segaki,  or  the  Feast  for  Hungry  Spirits.  They  invited 
all  the  foreigners  and  the  American  admiral  with  his 
officers  and  men.  Admiral  Belknap  was  anxious  to 
take  some  share  of  the  heavy  expense,  but  the  five 
merchants  would  not  hear  of  that  at  all.  It  seemed 
to  me  a kind  and  holy  thought,  this  unasked  benevo- 
lence shown  to  a handful  of  long-forgotten  strangers. 
A local  English  newspaper  describes  the  promoters 
of  this  charitable  function  as  a Japanese  Firm  of 
Wreckers  ” ! 

I was  just  going  to  begin  talking  about  Treaty 
Revision,  which  is  for  us  the  question  of  the  day;  but 
the  mail  is  going  out,  so  that  infliction  must  stand 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


17 


over  till  next  week ! Mail  day  seems  to  be  the  only 
inexorable  fact  in  this  land  of  leisure.  A poor  English- 
man who  was  drowned  in  Yokohama  Bay  a few 
days  ago  had  to  be  buried  in  haste,  and  without  any 
peroration  over  his  grave,  the  clergyman  explaining 
that  it  was  impossible  to  break  into  mail  day  with  what 
Jeames  (was  it  not?)  called  ^Mgstranious  subjicks  ” ! 


VOL.  I 


C 


CHAPTER  II 


THE  NEW  IMPERIAL  PALACE.  — AN  AUDIENCE  WITH  THE 
EMPRESS.  — COUNT  ITO’s  GARDEN  PARTY.  — KYOSAI,  A 
JAPANESE  ARTIST.  — A FAIR.  — FIREFLY  STORIES.  — 
FANATICS  AND  THEIR  VICTIMS. — A DYNAMITE  OFFERING 

May  \^th,  1889. 

r 1 1HE  Emperor  was  away  when  we  first  arrived,  so 
we  could  not  have  our  audiences  until  yesterday. 

I was  rather  envious  when  H was  carried  off  by  a 

chamberlain  in  a Court  carriage  to  present  his  credentials 
to  the  Emperor,  whom  I shall  not  see  just  now.  But 
our  visit  to  the  Empress  was  most  interesting.  The 
weather  was  lovely,  and  the  Imperial  gardens  were  all 
bloom  and  sunshine  as  we  drove  up  to  the  Palace,  a 
long,  low  building  standing  on  high  ground,  and  rearing 
a beautiful  outline  against  the  sky.  It  is  quite  new, 
and  the  sovereigns  only  took  possession  of  it  last 
winter,  just  before  the  proclamation  of  the  Constitution, 
the  old  house  which  stood  on  this  spot  having  been 
completely  destroyed  by  fire.  The  new  Palace  is  a 
wonderful  achievement,  of  which  its  architects  may  be 
proud.  The  old  Japanese  lines  have  been  everywhere 
adhered  to  in  its  construction,  but  so  modified  as  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  the  Court  life  of  to-day.  The 

18 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


19 


whole  building  is  of  w'ood,  a light  fawn-coloured  wood, 
giving  out  the  most  delicate  aroma,  a perfume  which 
seems  to  be  the  essence  of  yet  unembodied  marvels  of 
carving  and  lacquer.  This  rises  into  .floreated  gables, 
and  sinks  in  richly  painted  eaves,  where  the  blues  and 
greens  are  strong  and  pure  as  those  on  a peacock’s 


APPKOACH  TO  THE  PALACE 

breast.  One  or  two  of  these  lovely  creatures  were 
watching  us  curiously  from  their  perch  on  the  wall  of 
an  inner  garden,  as  we  mounted  the  steps  leading  to 
the  entrance  hall  of  the  Palace,  a squai’e  room  with 
two  carved  black-wood  tables,  on  Avhich  lie  the  books, 
ornamented  with  gold  chrysanthemums,  where  visitors 
may  write  their  names  for  the  Emperor  and  Empress. 
Here  we  were  met  by  Marquis  Nabeshima,  the  Grand 


20 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Master  of  Ceremonies,  and  Mr.  Sannomiya,  liis  second  in 
command,  a man  so  kind,  so  dignified,  and  liberal- 
minded,  that  it  is  impossible  not  to  be  drawn  to  him 
and  the  class  he  represents  at  once.  I have  only 
known  him  two  weeks,  and  feel  as  if  he  were  an  old 
friend  already. 

These  gentlemen  took  us  for  what  seemed  a long 
walk  through  broad  corridors,  lined,  dado  fashion,  with 
shining  orange  and  cedar  woods,  golden  coloured,  and 
scented ; above  them,  an  embossed  leather  paper,  in 
flowing  patterns  of  ivory,  gold,  and  fawn,  covers  the 
walls  to  the  lofty  ceiling,  with  its  carved  beams  and 
rich  decorations.  At  distances  of  a few  feet  all  along 
the  wall  the  flowers  seem  to  have  taken  separate  life, 
and  to  have  burst  out  in  graceful  bells  and  golden 
leaves  inhabited  by  vital  sparks  of  the  electric  light. 
As  one  goes  farther  into  the  Palace,  these  beautiful 
galleries  lead  off  in  every  direction,  through  doors  which 
are  marvels  of  lacquer  and  painting.  A favourite 
design  is  a rabbit  in  gold  lacquer,  on  a ground  of  such 
indescribable  polish  that  the  eye  seems  to  sink  through 
its  depths  as  through  still  waters,  seeking  in  vain  for 
a solid  bottom.  The  gold  bunnies,  being  creatures  of 
earth,  are  on  the  lower  panels  of  the  doors,  sitting  up 
and  gazing  with  ears  erect,  or  playing  with  blown 
leaves  and  grasses ; while  the  upper  panels  contain 
more  airy  designs  of  birds  and  flowers.  In  the  heart 
of  the  Palace  the  rooms  have  glass  slides  instead  of  the 
usual  Japanese  paper  ones,  and  get  all  their  light  and 
air  from  the  wide  surrounding  corridors,  which  in  their 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


21 


turn  open  on  enclosed  courts  full  of  fruit  blossoms  and 
palm  trees  and  the  play  of  fountains  in  the  sun. 

At  last  we  were  ushered  into  a very  large  drawing- 
room with  hangings  and  furniture  of  Kyoto  silk  in 
soft  shades  of  grey  and  rose.  In  the  middle  of  the 
room  rises  a kind  of  flower  temple,  in  rich  deep-col- 
oured wood,  almost  like  a circular  chancel  screen,  whose 
every  niche  is  made  to  hold  a wonderful  arrangement 
of  flowers,  the  orchids  and  roses  and  lilies  of  the  West 
mingling  happily  with  the  fruit  blossoms  and  bamboos 
of  the  East.  Divans  and  easy-chairs  surround  the 
flower  temple;  and  against  the  walls  are  cabinets  of  old 
gold  lacquer,  subdued,  yet  splendid  as  a sunset  cloud. 
The  ceiling  of  this  great  hall  is  divided  by  cross-beams 
into  a hundred  squares,  each  one  painted  with  a differ- 
ent flower;  and  the  doors  are  lacquered  in  colours  also, 
blues  and  greens  and  crimsons  that  make  one  catch 
one’s  breath  with  surprise  and  pleasure.  All  this  sounds, 
perhaps,  too  brilliant  and  varied  for  true  beauty;  but 
the  great  space  and  height  of  the  hall,  witli  the  wide 
outlook  all  down  one  side  to  the  flowery  court,  give  so 
much  atmosphere  and  perspective,  that  the  vibrations 
of  colour  float  slowly  before  the  eyes,  and  never  clash 
or  jar  on  the  sunny  air. 

Here  we  found  five  or  six  of  the  Empress’s  ladies, 
all  in  European  dresses,  pale  blue  and  mauve  and  grey 
satins,  made  with  the  very  long  trains  which  are  not 
worn  in  Europe  now.  I believe  this  is  a part  of 
Palace  etiquette,  recalling  the  immensely  long  robes  of 
royal  and  noble  women  of  Japan  in  times  past.  The 


22 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAJN 


little  ladies  were  most  kind  and  cheery,  the  two  who 
spoke  English  translating  for  the  others  where  I sat 
with  them  near  the  flowers,  while  the  men  in  their 
brilliant  uniforms  stood  together  waiting  for  the  sum- 
mons to  the  Empress’s  apartments.  At  last  the  doors 
were  thrown  open,  and  we  all  started  on  another  long 
walk  through  more  glass  corridors,  till  a hush  fell  on 
our  companions,  and  we  paused  suddenly  on  a step, 
which  ran  all  across  the  foot  of  a small  square  room, 
full  of  flowers,  and  draped  with  blue  damask.  After 
the  three  regulation  curtseys,  I found  myself  standing 
before  a pale,  calm,  little  lady,  who  held  out  to  me  the 
very  smallest  hand  I have  ever  touched,  while  her 
dark  eyes,  full  of  life  and  intelligence,  rested  question- 
ingly  on  my  face.  Her  hair  was  dressed  close  to  her 
head,  and  her  gown  of  rosy  mauve  brocade  had  only 
one  ornament  — a superb  single  sapphire  worn  as  a 
brooch. 

In  a voice  so  low  that  even  in  that  bushed  atmos- 
phere I could  hardly  catch  its  tones,  she  said  many 
kind  things,  which  were  translated  to  me  in  the  same 
key  by  the  lady-in-waiting,  who  acted  as  interpreter. 
First  the  Empress  asked  after  the  Queen’s  health;  and 
then,  when  she  had  welcomed  me  to  Japan,  said  she 
bad  been  told  tliat  I bad  two  sons  wliom  I had  been 
obliged  to  leave  in  England,  and  added  that  she  thought 
that  must  have  been  a great  grief  to  me.  Her  eyes 
lighted  up,  and  then  took  on  rather  a wistful  expres- 
sion as  she  spoke  of  my  children.  The  heir  to  the 
throne  is  not  her  son,  for  she  has  never  had  children 


H.  I.  M.  THE  EMPEROR  OP  JAPAN 


iWlirti 


H.  I.  M.  THE  EMPRESS  OF  JAPAN 


I 

i 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


27 


of  her  own,  and  has,  I believe,  felt  the  deprivation 
keenly ; but  perhaps  the  nation  has  gained  by  her  loss, 
since  all  of  her  life  which  is  not  given  up  to  public 
duties  is  devoted  to  the  sick  and  suffering,  for  whom 
her  love  and  pity  seem  to  be  boundless. 

When  at  last  the  little  hand  was  held  out  in  farewell, 
I went  away  with  one  of  my  pet  theories  crystallised  into 
a conviction ; namely,  that 
it  is  a religion  in  itself  to 
be  a good  woman,  and  that 
a sovereign  who,  surrounded 
by  every  temptation  to  sel- 
fishness and  luxury,  never 
turns  a deaf  ear  to  the  cry 
of  the  poor,  and  constantly 
denies  herself,  as  the  Em- 
press does,  to  help  them, 
comes  near  being  a saint. 

When  we  found  our- 
selves in  the  corridors  again, 

Mr.  Sannomiya  asked  if  we 
would  care  to  see  the  rest 
of  the  Palace,  and  we  were  led  from  one  beautiful  room 
to  another  till  I was  rather  bewildered.  The  glass  walls 
give  an  appearance  of  unreality  to  these  splendid  apart- 
ments, but  they  add  greatly  to  the  light  and  brilliant 
appearance  of  the  whole.  In  all  the  Palace  there  is 
nothing  which  is  not  purely  Japanese  in  workmanship, 
although  the  general  design  of  the  draperies  and  furni- 

1 Now  Baron  Sannomiya,  1898. 


28 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


ture  are  after  European  models.  The  silks  are  most 
artistic,  many  soft  fabrics  from  the  looms  of  Kyoto,  in 
colours  either  of  dazzling  strength  and  purity,  or  of 
such  tender  cloud  shades  as  one  hardly  expects  to  find 
imprisoned  in  the  warp  and  woof  of  earthly  tissues.  Of 
ornaments,  apart  from  the  studied  decoration  of  walls 
and  floor  and  ceiling,  there  are  few  — a piece  of  lacquer, 
a bronze  vase,  or  a fine  carving  here  and  there,  just 
serve  to  break  the  long  vistas ; but  everywhere  there 
are  flowers  and  flowers  and  flowers,  so  profuse,  so  artis- 
tically arranged,  that  it  almost  seems  as  if  the  Palace 
had  been  built  for  them. 

May  2oth. 

Our  visit  to  the  Empress  was  followed  by  several 
dinners  at  the  houses  of  the  Ministers.  One  does  not 
learn  much  of  Japanese  life  at  these  feasts,  which  are, 
as  far  as  their  appointments  go,  for  all  the  world  like 
official  dinner  parties  in  Rome  or  Paris  or  Vienna;  but 
it  is  startling  to  find  oneself  between  the  host  and  some 
other  big  official,  neither  of  whom  will  admit  that  he  can 
speak  a word  of  any  European  language.  I believe  they 
understand  a great  deal  more  than  they  like  to  confess 
for  fear  of  being  called  upon  to  speak.  There  is  gen- 
erally an  interpreter  within  hail,  and  three  or  four  times 
in  the  course  of  the  dinner  my  neighbour  solemnly  leans 
forward  and  instructs  him  to  address  a polite  remark 
about  the  weather  or  the  flowers  to  me,  and  I answer  in 
the  same  three-cornered  fashion,  and  then  subside  into 
silence  once  more.  But  the  silence  does  not  bore  me. 
The  new  faces,  the  old  historical  names,  the  remembered 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


29 


biography  of  some  hero  who  perhaps  sits  opposite  to  me 
in  gold-laced  uniform  calmly  enjoying  the  foies-gras 
and  champagne  as  if  there  were  never  a blood-stained 
page  in  his  country’s  history  — all  this  appeals  strongly 
to  one’s  dramatic  appre- 
ciations. 

The  women  are  really 
attractive  with  their  pretty 
shy  ways  and  their  broken 
confidences  about  the  ter- 
ror of  getting  into  Euro- 
pean clothes.  Some  of 
them  look  wonderfully 
pretty  even  in  these  un- 
congenial garments. 

There  is  Countess  Kuroda, 
for  instance,  the  wife  of 
the  Prime  Minister,  who 
has  lovely  diamonds,  and 
always  appears  in  white 
satin  with  snowy  plumes 
set  in  her  dark  hair.  She 
can  talk  a little  English, 
and  is  intensely  polite 
about  everything  Euro- 
pean, as  all  the  little  ladies 

are ; but  I fancy  in  their  hearts  they  put  us  down  as  big 
clumsy  creatures  with  loud  voices  and  no  manners.  The 
very  smart  people  here  affect  the  most  impassive  coun- 
tenance and  a low  voice  in  speaking ; and  all  the  change 


30 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


tone  and  play  of  expression  which  we  consider  so 
attractive  is  condemned  in  Japan  as  only  fit  for  tlie 
lower  classes,  who,  by  the  way,  are  the  most  picturesque 
and  amusing  lower  classes  that  Heaven  has  yet  created. 
My  daily  drives  in  Tokyo  are  as  full  of  fun  and  interest 
as  was  my  first  jinriksha  ride  in  Nagasaki.  The  dis- 
tances are  enormous,  and  it  often  hap- 
pens that  I make  a journey  of  three 
or  four  miles  between 
one  visit  and  another ; 
but  every  step  of  the 
way  brings  me  to  some 
new  picture  or  new  ques- 
tion, reveals  some  unim- 
agined poetry  or  bit  of 
fresh  fun  in  daily  life. 
There  are  parties  of  lit- 
tle acrobats,  children  in 
charge  of  an  older  boy, 
who  come  tum- 
bling after  the 
carriage  in  con- 
tortions which 
would  be  terrible 

LITTLE  ACROBATS 

not  feel  convinced  that  Japanese  limbs  are  made  of  India- 
rubber.  Then  there  are  the  pedlars ; the  old-clothes 
sellers ; the  pipe-menders,  who  solemnly  clean  a pipe  for 
one  rin  as  they  sit  on  the  doorstep ; the  umbrella-makers, 
who  fill  a whole  street  with  enormous  yellow  parasols 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


31 


drying  in  the  sun.  Here  a juggler  is  swallowing  a 
sword,  to  the  delight  and  amazement  of  a group  of  chil- 
dren ; there  the  seller  of  tofu,  or  bean-curd,  cuts  great 
slabs  of  the  cheesy  substance,  and  wraps  it  in  green 
leaves  for  his  customers  to  carry  away.  I love  w^atch- 
ing  the  life  of  the  streets,  its  fulness  and  variety,  its 
inconvenient  candour  and  its  inexplicable  reticences.  I 
am  always  sorry  to  come  in,  even  to  our  lovely  home 
with  its  green  lawns  and  gardens  in  flower.  It  is  like 
leaving  a theatre  before  the  piece  is  over,  and  one  won- 
ders if  one  will  ever  see  it  again. 

I went  to  a garden  party  the  other  day,  given  by 
Count  Ito  on  the  occasion  of  his  daughter’s  marriage 
with  a rising  politician,  Mr.  Kenchio  Suyematsu.  The 
wedding  had,  however,  taken  place  some  days  before. 
The  Count’s  villa  at  Takanawa  is  close  to  the  sea,  or  as 
much  of  the  sea  as  comes  into  the  almost  land-locked 
Tokyo  Bay.  The  house  stands  on  high  ground,  which 
overlooks  Shinagawa  and  the  Hama  Rikyu  Palace,  the 
Empress’s  summer  house,  built  half  in  the  sea  like  poor 
Maximilian’s  villa  at  Miramar  near  Trieste.  Count  Ito’s 
garden  slopes  down  to  the  sea-level,  clothed  in  a dark- 
green  mantle  of  lordly  pines  with  red-gold  branches, 
lighted  here  and  there  by  a cloud  of  rosy  fruit  blossom, 
ethereal  as  mist  shone  through  by  the  sun.  The  views 
over  sea  and  land  are  lovely,  and  we  had  plenty  of  time 
to  wander  from  one  point  to  anotlier,  taking  it  all  in. 
Tliere  were  crowds  of  people  in  brightly  tinted  dresses  ; 
but  I saw  hardly  any  Japanese  costumes,  even  Countess 
Ito’s  youngest  daughter  being  in  European  dress.  No 


32 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


one  seems  to  talk  much  at  these  gatherings ; there  is  a 
tremendous  feast,  where  we  are  all  placed  strictly  accord- 
ing to  precedence,  and  are  expected  to  eat  and  drink  as 
if  it  were  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  instead  of  four  in 
the  afternoon  ! Count  Ito  has  the  cleverest  face  I have 
ever  seen ; it  is  not  noble  or  elevated  in  any  way,  which 
is  not  strange,  perhaps,  since  he  did  not  originally  belong 
to  the  higher  class  of  Japanese,  but  for  sheer  intelligence 
and  power  I have  seen  few  to  beat  it.  Countess  Ito  is 
a very  attractive  woman,  with  a fine  delicate  face,  and 
of  course  charming  manners. 

I am  slowly  learning  to  know  one  person  from 
another  in  this  big  new  circle.  I heard  a Japanese  say 
that  all  foreigners  looked  alike  to  him,  and  I confess 
that  for  the  first  two  weeks  of  my  stay  here  I felt  like 
a colley  with  a new  flock  of  sheep.  Now  that  the  per- 
sonalities are  revealing  themselves  to  me,  I find  my  way 
about  among  them  fairly  well. 

The  great  artist  Kyosai  is  dead.  His  life  forms 
a perfect  example  of  God-given  genius,  served  and 
cherished  with  complete  and  simple  conscientiousness. 
Everything  true  was  beautiful  in  his  eyes,  whether 
it  appealed  to  the  crowd  or  not.  As  a child  of  three 
he  made  friends  with  a frog  on  a long  kago  (or  litter) 
journey,  and  drew  its  portrait  as  soon  as  his  mother 
set  him  down  at  the  journey’s  end.  At  seven  he  drew 
every  aspect  of  the  human  figure  as  he  could  see  it  in 
the  brawls  and  wrestling-bouts  of  the  lowest  quarters  of 
the  city,  which  he  haunted  patiently,  sketch-book  in 
hand,  for  weeks  and  months.  At  nine  he  captured  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


33 


severed  head  of  a drowned  man  from  a swollen  river, 
and  brought  it  home  to  study  in  secret  as  any  other  child 
would  treasure  a toy  or  a sweetmeat.  The  horror  was 
discovered  by  his  family,  and  he  was  ordered  to  take  the 
grisly  thing  back  to  the  stream  and  throw  it  in.  Re- 
luctantly the  little  boy  trudged  back  to  the  river  bank, 
the  poor  head  in  his  arms ; but  before 
he  threw  it  away,  he  spent  long  hours, 
sitting  on  the  ground,  copying  every 
line  of  the  awful  countenance.  The 
ordinary  hopes  and  fears  of  humanity 
seem  to  have  been  spared  him,  and 
nothing  daunted  him  where  his  imagi- 
nation was  roused  by  food  for  a picture. 

A wonderful  story  is  told  of  how  a fire 
broke  out  one  winter  night  of  1846  — 
a fire  which  threatened  to  destroy  an 
immense  number  of  rare  birds  kept  for 
sale  at  a shop  in  the  Hongo  district. 

They  had  been  carried  out  into  a square 
where  property  was  already  deposited 
in  quantities ; but  sparks  fell  on  the 
cages,  and  they  began  to  burn,  so  the 
owner  opened  them  all,  and  let  the 
birds  loose  to  save  themselves  if  they  i^r^wing  by  kyosaii 
could.  The  whole  flock  rose  up  into  the  sky  with  wild 
screams  and  whirring  of  wings,  and  instead  of  seeking 

1 Tlie  drawings  by  Kyosai  reproduced  in  tliis  and  a later  chapter  have 
been  kindly  given  by  Mrs.  T.  S.  James,  for  whom  the  artist  executed  them. 
They  are  now  published  for  the  first  time. 


VOL. 


D 


34 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


safety  flew  straight  towards  the  flames  which  were  fill- 
ing the  night  with  tongues  of  fire  and  clouds  of  red 
light.  Kyosai  was  then  fifteen,  and  seems  to  have  been 
carried  completely  away  by  the  sight  of  the  gorgeous 
many-coloured  wings  turning  and  wheeling  in  the  glare 
of  the  flames.  Eegardless  of  everything  else,  he  sat 
down  in  the  street  and  sketched  with  passionate  eager- 
ness, till  he  was  bitterly  reproached  by  his  family  for  not 
lending  his  help  to  save  their  goods  from  the  conflagra- 
tion. Very  humbly  he  begged  to  be  forgiven  his  negli- 
gence, saying  as  an  excuse  that  he  believed  no  one  had 
ever  had  a chance  of  drawing  such  a splendid  spectacle 
before. 

He  got  into  terrible  trouble  once,  as  a young  man, 
for  following  some  ladies  in  a Dainiyo’s  house,  where  he 
was  employed  in  decorating  a room.  The  girls  fled  from 
him,  and  he  ran  after  them,  down  long  galleries  and 
across  gardens,  till  they  were  terrified,  thinking  he  had 
gone  mad.  Then  he  suddenly  stopped,  and  returned 
quietly  to  his  Avork.  When  reproved  for  his  temerity, 
he  produced  his  sketch-book,  and  showed  a careful  out- 
line of  a rare  and  antique  pattern  in  the  sash,  or  obi, 
Avorn  by  one  of  the  girls,  Avhich  he  had  caught  sight 
of  as  she  passed,  and  had  sketched  as  he  chased  her. 

A countryman  and  intimate  friend  of  Kyosai  tells 
me  that  he  possesses  several  of  the  great  painter’s 
draAvings,  obtained  by  an  amusing  stratagem.  Kyosai 
always  refused,  if  asked  outright  for  a sketch ; so  his 
friend  began  the  negotiation  by  offering  the  artist  an 
excellent  dinner.  When  Kyosai  had  drunk  deeply  (he 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


35 


pleaded  to  a love  of  wine  as  an  aid  to  inspiration) 
and  seemed  in  a mellow  liumour,  his  host  would  call 
for  drawing  materials,  saying  that  he  felt  an  artistic 
fancy  taking  possession  of  him.  No  one  was  surprised, 
as  Japanese  gentlemen  often  amuse  themselves  in  this 
way  after  a feast.  The 
servant  then  brought  an 
enormous  sheet  of  white 
paper,  and  spread  it  on 
the  floor,  with  the  brushes 
and  Indian  ink  beside  it. 

The  crafty  host,  without 
looking  at  his  guest,  sank 
on  his  knees  and  began  to 
draw,  apparently  absorbed 
in  his  occupation,  but  in- 
tentionally producing  a 
few  weak  and  incorrect 
lines.  Kyosai  watched  the 
feeble  effort  in  silence  and 
growing  irritation,  and  at 
last  jumped  up,  dashed  the 
tyro  aside,  and  tore  the 
brush  out  of  his  hand, 
exclaiming,  Out  of  the 
way,  you  wretched  bungler!  I will  teach  you  how  to 
draw  ! ” And  the  result  was  a priceless  sketch,  which 
remained  in  the  possession  of  his  wily  entertainer.  Again 
and  again  did  the  great  artist  fall  into  this  snare,  his 
generous  soul  unable  to  stand  by  and  see  his  art  wronged. 


DRAWING  BY  KYOSAI 


36 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Once  this  same  friend  was  travelling  with  Kyosai  in 
a region  where  the  painter  had  not  been  before.  After 
dinner  Kyosai  had  an  attack  of  artistic  frenzy,  and  in  a 
short  time  had  covered  all  the  walls  of 
the  inn  room  with  wonderful  outlines, 
and  filled  in  the  low  ceiling  with  a 
picture  of  an  enormous  black  cat,  fierce 
and  lifelike  to  an  alarming  degree. 
More  fierce  and  lifelike,  however,  was 
the  wrath  of  the  landlady,  when  she 
found  her  spotless  paper  walls  and  ceil- 
ing covered  with  strange  shapes.  The 
room  was  ruined,  she  cried ; she  would 
have  justice ; the  miscreant  must  pay 
for  new  paper ! Then  the  artist’s  friend 
whispered  the  name  of  Kyosai  in  her 
ear.  Her  countenance  changed,  her 
curses  turned  into  cries  of  delighted 
gratitude,  and  her  reproaches  became 
entreaties  that  the  great  painter  would 
forgive  her,  and  would  have  more  din- 
ners in  more  rooms  of  her  favoured 
house. 

He  was  a tender-hearted  man,  and  made  the  fort- 
une of  one  destitute  old  cripple  by  painting  a picture 
for  him,  which  the  beggar  showed  for  money,  earning 
enough  to  buy  a house,  where  he  lived  in  comfort  ever 
after.  The  subject  was  a ^strange  one : on  one  side  the 
poverty  of  the  demons  in  hell,  who  were  represented 
as  starving  to- death,  and  sawing  off  their  own  horns  to 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


37 


sell  for  bone-carving ; on  the  other,  the  angels  in  heaven 
welcoming  poor  and  humble  penitents  to  eternal  feasts. 

He  died,  as  he  had  lived,  a great  man  with  one 
thought.  Three  days  before  his  death,  when  he  was 
already  so  wasted  that 
he  could  hardly  stand, 
he  sketched  the  shadow 
of  his  own  figure,  piti- 
fully bent  and  emaciated, 
on  the  white  paper  wall 
beside  his  bed,  but  only 
as  far  down  as  the  knees ; 
below  were  a few  ruthless 
lines  in  the  shape  of  a 
coffin.  After  he  had  bade 
farewell  to  his  wife  and 
family  in  broken,  gasp- 
ing words,  he  gave  a 
great  cry,  and  called  on 
the  name  of  his  picture- 
mounter,  to  whom  he 
gave  clear  directions  about 
one  of  his  last  drawings, 
and  then  died.  Happy 
Kyosai,  happy  mortal, 
who  from  life’s  dawn  to  its  midnight,  with  single  inten- 
tion and  undoubting  faith,  filled  your  place  and  justified 
your  vocation ! 

Japan  should  make  many  artists.  I went  to  a 
night  fair  two  or  three  evenings  ago,  a humble  show 


DRAWING  BY  KYOSAI 


38 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


where  little  more  than  cakes  and  sweetmeats  and  straw 
sandals  were  sold ; but  there  was  one  stall  full  of 
winged  lights,  tiny  stars  of  green  fire  clustering  all 
over  it.  I bought  about  a hundred  Princess  Splendours 
in  a black  horsehair  cage,  and  brought  them  home  with 
me.  Do  you  know  the  story  of  Princess  Splendour  ? 
She  was,  it  seems,  a tiny  moon-child,  so  like  a firefly 
that  the  old  woodman  (of  fairy  tales  all  the  world 
over)  picked  her  off  a bamboo  branch  in  the  moon- 
light, and  brought  her  home  to  his  wife.  She  grew 
lovelier  and  brighter  for  twenty  sweet  years,  till  all 
the  brown  cottage  shone  with  her  beauty  at  night,  and 
basked  in  it  by  day.  Every  one  loved  her,  but  most 
of  all  the  Emperor,  whom  she  loved  too.  But  she 
could  not  marry  him,  because  all  her  life  was  only  to 
be  twenty  years,  and  the  time  was  nearly  up.  And  he 
hoped  to  keep  her ; but  at  last  the  day  came  when  she 
had  to  go,  and  Princess  Splendour  travelled  home  on 
a moonbeam,  crying  silver  tears  all  the  way,  till 
Mother  Moon  took  her  in  her  arms  and  folded  her  to 
her  warm  white  heart,  quite  away  from  the  Emperor’s 
eyes  for  ever.  And  all  her  tears  took  wings,  and  go 
flying  about  the  woods  on  warm  nights  looking  for  the 
Emperor  still,  though  he  died  an  old,  old  man  hun- 
dreds of  years  ago.  But  the  keeper  of  the  strange 
stall  at  the  fair  (and  I could  hardly  see  it  for  the 
darkness)  had  captured  scores  of  the  winged  lights,  and 
sold  them  by  ones  and  twos  in  a dainty  cage  two 
inches  long,  with  a green  leaf  for  provisions,  for  two 
rin,  a sum  so  small  that  we  have  no  equivalent  for  it. 


FIREFLY  CATCHING 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


41 


T stood  for  a minute  before  the  firefly  stall,  and  then 
told  the  interpreter  to  say  that  I must  have  all  the 
fireflies  in  all  the  cages.  People  gathered  round  in 
crowds,  and  one  curious  face  after  another  pushed 
itself  forward  into  the  dim  circle  of  light,  staring  at 
the  reckless  foreign  woman  who  spent  money  in  this 
mad  way ! But  the  foreign  woman  knew  exactly  what 
she  wanted.  Princess  Splendour’s  lovely  successors  were 
not  to  be  sold  away  one  by  one  in  cages  on  this  warm 
spring  night.  I carried  them  all  home  in  the  horsehair 
box ; and  when  everybody  had  gone  to  bed,  I crept  out 
into  the  balmy  darkness  of  my  garden,  opened  the 
box,  and  set  all  the  lovely  creatures  free.  This  way 
and  that  they  flew,  their  radiant  lamps  glowing  and 
paling  like  jewels  seen  through  water,  some  clinging  to 
my  hair  and  my  hands  as  if  afraid  to  plunge  into  the 
garden’s  unknown  ways.  I felt  like  a white  witch  who 
had  called  the  stars  down  to  play  with  her.  Some  of 
our  people  thought  the  same,  I fancy ; for  I suddenly 
became  aware  of  a string  of  dark  figures  hurrying 
across  the  shadowed  lawns  in  a terrified  rush  for  the 
servants’  quarters,  and  I noticed  the  next  day  that  I 
was  approached  with  awe  amounting  to  panic. 

In  connection  with  fairs,  of  which  there  are  so 
many  at  this  time  of  year,  I must  tell  you  a strange 
thing  that  happened  at  a fair  in  Hakodate  two  or 
three  weeks  ago.  The  whole  population  was  out  of 
doors,  celebrating  the  Hill  Holiday  ” by  camping  and 
feasting  and  wandering  on  the  hills  which  surround  the 
town.  The  weather  was  gorgeous,  and  the  sun  hot  and 


42 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


dazzling.  An  old  man  had  set  out  his  wares  in  a little 
stall  on  a hillside,  toys  and  sweets,  and,  alas  ! crackers 
— all  laid  out  in  bright  and  tempting  rows.  He  was 
tired  with  the  heat  and  the  climb,  and  sat  down  to 
rest  while  waiting  for  customers.  One  cannot  doze 

comfortably  in  spectacles,  so  he  took  his  oft  (great 
round  horn-rimmed  things),  and  laid  them  down  on  a 
box  of  crackers,  and  fell  asleep.  Terrible  was  his 

awakening  by  an  explosion  of  great  noise  and  violence. 
The  spectacles  had  acted  as  burning-glasses  in  the  hot 
sun,  and  had  exploded  the  crackers,  which  in  turn  set 
fire  to  the  whole  stall.  When  the  flames  died  down, 
nothing  was  left  except  a quite  ruined  old  pedlar  and 
some  terrified  children  who  had  been  thinking  of 
inspecting  his  cakes  when  the  catastrophe  occurred. 

A new  treaty  has  been  signed,  really  signed.  Not 
ours,  of  course ; an  event  of  such  import  would  not 
have  been  treated  of  in  a postscript  at  the  end  of  my 
letter.  The  new  treaty  between  Japan  and  Mexico 
is  a most  splendid  and  advantageous  one  for  everybody 
concerned,  and  promises  that,  in  return  for  Mexico’s 
politeness  in  treating  Japan  as  a grown-up  nation 
capable  of  attending  to  its  own  affairs  and  administer- 
ing its  own  laws,  Mexicans  may  go  where  they  like,  trade 
where  they  like,  and  own  any  land  they  can  pay  for  in 
Japan.  Tlie  magnificence  of  these  arrangements  appears 
a little  dwarfed  on  both  sides,  Avhen  we  learn  that  the 
number  of  Mexican  residents  in  this  country  is  — one. 
Diplomacy  seems  an  expensive  luxury  in  such  circum- 
stances 3 but,  there,  the  principle  is  everything,  is  it  not  ? 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


43 


One  of  the  Japanese  papers  has  been  proposing  that 
diplomacy  should  be  utilised  in  a new  direction.  Why, 
says  the  Yomiuri  Shimbun,  not  draft  oh  to  distant  em- 
bassies those  statesmen  who  are  too  popular  to  be  dis- 
regarded, and  yet  who  give  some  trouble  at  home  ? 
What  more  honourable  employment  for  a chief  of  the 
wrong  party  than  plenipotenching  on  a dollar  a day 
and  his  board,”  as  the  American  politician  neatly  ex- 
pressed it  ? The  local  paper  even  goes  into  details,  and 
suggests  that  Count  Okuma,  the  present  Minister  for 
Foreign  Affairs,  shall  be  sent  to  England,  in  virtue  of 
his  splendid  fighting  powers ; that  Count  Inouye,  a good 
talker,  shall  take  Washington  under  his  care;  and  that 
the  mission  of  Peking  (on  account,  I suppose,  of  the  high 
standard  of  morals  invariably  maintained  by  the  ten 
mendacious  gentlemen  who  form  one  Minister  for  For- 
eign Affairs  in  the  Tsungli  Yamen)  had  better  be 
confided  to  a man  of  purity  and  courage  like  Count 
Itagaki.  Purity  and  courage  must  be  very  alarming 
qualities,  for  Count  Itagaki’s  return  to  a place  in  the 
Government  after  his  long  retirement  seems  to  fill  his 
countrymen  with  one  desire  — that  he  should  depart 
from  their  coasts.  The  distinguished  Liberal  must  at 
any  rate  be  a generous  man,  for  he  has  just  procured  the 
release  from  prison  of  a wretched  fanatic  who  seriously 
attempted  his  life  on  political  grounds  some  years  ago. 
The  pardoned  fanatic  insisted  upon  thanking  his  liber- 
ator, and  a great  deal  of  pernicious  nonsense  is  being 
talked  in  the  newspapers  about  purity  of  motive  and  true 
greatness,  etc.,  etc.  The  national  press  does  not  yet 


44 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


stand  high  in  Japan.  I do  not  wish  to  be  sweeping  in 
condemnation,  for  one  or  two  journals  rank  higher  than 
the  rest  and  show  sound  opinions  on  many  subjects ; 
but  reckless  misstatement,  misdirected  gush,  and  extreme 
gullibility  make  some  of  the  daily  papers  anything  but 
useful  or  elevating.  All  this  enthusiasm  about  a forgiv- 
ing victim  and  a high-minded  assassin  is  rather  nauseat- 
ing when  one  remembers  the  terrible  death  of  poor 
Arinori  Mori  (a  friend  of  ours  in  Peking  days),  murdered 
for  the  same  thin  pretext  on  the  11th  of  February  last 
when  the  whole  country  was  rejoicing  at  the  promulgation 
of  the  Constitution.  Popular  representation  will  point 
out  many  more  victims  to  such  high-minded  assassins  as 
Aibara  or  Buntaro  ; and  it  seems  to  me  that  the  first 
work  of  the  Legislative  Assembly  when  it  meets  next 
year  will  necessarily  be  the  protection  of  its  members 
from  the  rancours  of  hidden  fanaticism. 

A fanatic  of  another  kind  attempted  to  blow  up  a 
newly  erected  temple  in  Kobe  the  other  day.  A great 
inaugural  ceremony  was  to  be  held,  and  an  unknown 
person  sent  five  hundred  candles  as  a gift  in  honour  of 
the  event.  When  the  first  one  was  lighted,  a violent 
explosion  took  place,  and  the  temple  narrowly  escaped 
being  burnt  down.  The  remaining  candles  were  exam- 
ined, and  it  was  found  that  they  were  all  stufied  with 
dynamite. 


CHAPTER  III 


SUMMER  RAINS  IN  TOKYO.  — THE  FALL  OF  THE  TOKUGAWA 
SHOGUNS  AND  THE  END  OF  FEUDALISM.  — -'SIR  HARRY 
PARKES  AND  COUNT  GOTO.  — ORIGIN  OF  CONSULAR 
JURISDICTION. — THE  SAMURAI  OF  YESTERDAY  AND  THE 
SOSHI  OF  TO-DAY.  — THE  EMPRESS’S  CHARITIES.  — A 
SOCIETY  FOR  THE  CORRECTION  OF  MORALS 


June,  1889. 

~TT  is  a rainy  day ; everything  is  dripping  in  the 
grounds  and  steaming  in  the  house.  The  maids 
creep  from  room  to  room  with  little  square  boxes  of 
red  embers,  which  they  slip  inside  cupboards  and  ward- 
robes to  keep  the  mildew  from  clinging  where  the  damp 
has  passed.  It  has  rained  so  long  that  we  have  for- 
gotten to  count  the  days  any  more.  There  were 
twenty-seven  wet  days  in  April  before  we  arrived,  and 
I should  think  there  must  have  been  forty  already  in 
June!  It  is  a mistake  to  pretend  that  a month  can 
never  go  beyond  thirty  or  thirty-one.  Each  day  should 
count  double  when  it  pours  like  this.  The  streets,  as 
I see  them  from  these  upper  balconies,  look  like  inter- 
secting streams,  paddled  in  by  a few  drenched  creatures 
carrying  huge  oil-paper  umbrellas,  flat  and  large,  like 
monstrous  toad-stools.  Under  the  umbrella  is  more 
yellow-paper  water-proofing,  down  to  a few  inches  below 

45 


46 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


the  waist  perhaps;  and  then  come  recklessly  tucked-up 
skirts  and  bare  legs.  All  the  houses  have  their  screens 
tightly  closed,  and  nowhere  is  there  a glimpse  into  the 
queer  little  homes,  which  are  laid  invitingly  open  to 
view  on  a fine  morning. 

I feel  profoundly  discouraged,  for  I have  been  read- 
ing in  the  Japan  Mail  an  indignant  protest  against  the 
crass  ignorance  displayed  in  English  accounts  of  Japan 
and  its  history.  A venerable  firm,  which  we  have 
been  taught  to  regard  as  a kind  of  national  educator, 
has  just  published  a class-book  of  geography,  in  which 
Japan  seems  to  have  fared  so  badly  as  to  rouse  the  just 
indignation  of  the  English  editor  of  the  Mail,  an  excep- 
tionally intelligent  man,  who  has  lived  for  many  years 
in  Japan.  The  English  newspapers  seem  to  be  as  bad 
as  the  venerable  educating  firm ; for  they  are  handing 
round  an  idiotic  story  of  how  the  Emperor  (they  call 
him  the  Mikado,  a term  which  is  never  used  here)  keeps 
a beautiful  jewelled  sword,  which  he  sends  to  turbulent 
Ministers  when  he  wishes  to  have  them  commit  hara- 
kiri,  and  take  themselves  out  of  his  way.  The  story 
goes  on  to  say  that  the  last  gentleman  to  whom  this 
compliment  was  paid  did  not  carry  out  the  Emperor’s 
wishes,  but  ran  off  to  Paris  with  the  sword,  and  sold 
it  for  six  thousand  pounds.” 

It  is  of  course  very  sad  and  bad  that  otherwise 
rational  beings  should  believe  all  this  nonsense;  but 
— but  Japanese  history  is  nearly  as  complicated  as 
Japanese  customs,  and  both  so  foreign  to  European 
ways  of  thought  that  we  must  be  forgiven  a few  mis- 


EMPRESS  OF  THE  PAST 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


49 


takes.  Being  somewhat  new  to  things  as  yet,  I shall 
probably  fall  into  some  of  these  errors  in  trying  to 
give  yon  an  idea  of  what  Treaty  Revision  means.  And 
yet  no  one  in  Europe  will  teach  you  anything,  so  per- 
haps you  will  be  glad  to  learn  what  I have  learnt,  the 
bare  outlines  of  our  political  ground  of  being  in  this 
half-way  house  of  the  world. 

Do  you  remember,  many  years  ago,  when  I was  a 
child,  that  charming  old  Mr.  Townsend  Harris,  whom 
we  young  ones  hailed  so  noisily  on  account  of  his 
enchanting  stories  of  a world  beyond  our  ken?  I still 
feel  the  thrill  which  used  to  go  through  me  when  he 
described  his  hard-won  audience  with  the  “ Tycoon.” 
I have  lived  to  see  many  idols  shattered,  and  the  unap- 
proachable Tycoon  has  gone  with  the  rest.  As  a mat- 
ter of  fact  there  never  was  such  a person ; hut  that 
does  not  in  the  least  reflect  upon  dear  Mr.  Harris’s 
veracity,  because  he  firmly  believed  there  was,  having 
taken  the  Japanese  expression  Daigun,  the  Great  Regent, 
for  a title  in  itself.  The  personage  who  received  him 
with  such  tremendous  ceremony  that  his  square  of 
standing  place  on  the  matting  had  to  be  marked  out 
beforehand  was  the  Shogun,  not,  as  he  imagined,  the 
secular  ruler  in  opposition  to  a Mikado  who  bore  sacred 
sovereignty  in  Kyoto,  but  the  hereditary  Regent,  the 
chief  administrator,  in  whose  hands  all  the  real  power 
most  certainly  lay,  but  who  was  quite  as  much  a sub- 
ject of  the  Emperor  as  the  obsequious  nobles  who 
formed  his  Court.  The  last  dynasty  of  Shoguns,  the 
House  of  Tokugawa,  were  ancestrally  of  lower  rank 


VOL.  I 


50 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


than  many  of  the  Daimyos,  or  the  Kuge,  or  Court 
nobles,  who,  poor  but  proudly  loyal,  shared  the  Emper- 
or’s seclusion  in  Kyoto.  The  Emperors,  for  over  seven 
centuries  past,  had,  as  you  know,  been  as  sacred  and  as 
useless  as  the  sleeping  Buddha  at  Ta  Pei  Ssil ; but  the 

searching  airs  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  seem  to  have 
found  their  way  to  these  dis- 
tant fastnesses  of  tradition. 
The  Southern  Daimyos  woke 
up  one  morning  to  the  re- 
membrance of  their  past 
glories,  to  the  consciousness 
that  they  were  as  good  men 
any  day  as  Shogun  Yoshin- 
obu  — and  better  ! They  met 
and  confided  these  bold  re- 
fiections  to  each  other,  and 
even  said  that, 
if  they  must  be 
taxed  and  bullied 
and  ground 
down,  such  treat- 

A LADY  OF  THE  COURT  IN  3CYOTO  . 11* 

ment  would  in- 
jure their  dignity  less  at  the  hands  of  their  beloved 
sovereign  than  from  a fellow-subject,  as  they  had  just 
remembered  that  the  Shogun  really  was. 

At  that  time  the  great  question  of  the  admission  of 
foreigners  was  practically  settled,  both  by  the  return 
of  Japanese,  who  had  at  last  been  permitted  to  visit 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


51 


other  countries,  and  who  came  back  delighted  with  all 
they  had  seen  and  learnt,  and  also  because  it  was  found 
impossible  to  keep  the  strangers  out.  Attacks  on  them 
produced  such  incidents  as  the  bombarding  of  Shimo- 
noseki  (a  political  outrage,  but  a useful  lesson),  and  long 
bills  for  indemnities,  which  it  was  no  satisfaction  to 
pay.  The  division  of  opinion  as  to  admitting  foreign- 
ers was  very  great  among  the  powerful  clans,  some 
leaders  embracing  one  view  and  some  another ; and  this 
state  of  things  added  to  the  many  motives  of  the  civil 
war  which  broke  out  and  ended  in  the  fall  of  the  Sho- 
gunate,  though  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  caused  it. 
The  last  Shogun,  Yoshinobu,  Keiki  (or  Hitotsubashi, 
as*  he  was  called  after  his  adopted  father),  accepted 
the  office  with  great  reluctance,  and  resigned  it  appar- 
ently with  equal  reluctance  a year  later,  when  the 
present  Emperor,  Mutsuhito,  came  to  the  throne.  The 
last  Emperor,  Komei,  had  done  all  that  he  could  to 
concentrate  the  executive  power  in  his  own  family 
once  more,  and  to  escape  from  the  bonds  in  which 
he  was  kept  by  these  Tokugawa  Shoguns,  who  had 
ruled  the  empire  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years. 
Komei  himself  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  admission 
of  foreigners  into  the  country,  but  had  found  it  impos- 
sible to  hold  out  against  them.  His  ratification  of  the 
treaties  with  foreign  powers,  unwilling  as  it  was,  opened 
the  way  for  a more  independent  and  spirited  policy  on 
the  part  of  his  son. 

The  present  Emperor  was  only  sixteen  (by  Japanese 
counting)  when  he  came  to  the  throne ; and  he  had  of 


52 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


course  grown  up  in  the  complete  and  demoralising  inac- 
tivity which  the  Shoguns  enforced  in  the  education  of 
the  heir  to  the  throne.  It  is  said  that  the  Emperor 
was  carried  from  room  to  room,  that  he  never  stood  on 
his  feet,  or  even  fed  himself  until  the  age  of  sixteen; 
but  the  moment  that  he  was  free  to  do  so,  he  stood  up, 
morally  as  well  as  physically,  and,  aided  by  the  strong 
dislike  to  the  Shogunate  among  his  immediate  following, 
made  it  very  clear  that  he  intended  to  govern  in  reality 
as  well  as  rule  in  name.  The  Shogun  was  advised  to 
retire ; and  in  the  letter  which  brought  that  advice, 
the  Daimyo  of  Tosa  expressed  the  opinion  of  most  of 
his  class  when  he  pointed  out  that  the  constant  troubles 
in  Japan  were  doubtless  due  to  the  division  of  power 
between  the  two  rulers,  resulting  in  feuds,  jealousies, 
and  national  weakness.  Count  Goto,  as  the  represent- 
ative of  this  great  Daimyo,  brought  the  letter  to  the 
Shogun,  and  earnestly  begged  him  to  follow  the  counsels 
it  contained.  The  Shogun,  after  much  deliberation, 
outwardly  accepted  the  advice,  and  resigned  his  office 
in  November,  1867  ; but  much  strife  followed.  The 
Ex-Shogun  headed  something  like  a rebellion,  which 
was  quelled  in  1868 ; and  on  February  8th  of  the  same 
year  the  Emperor  announced  to  the  foreign  powers  that 
henceforth  there  was  but  one  Government  to  treat  with, 
namely,  his  own.  His  position  was  greatly,  albeit  grad- 
ually, strengthened  by  the  amazing  fact  that  many  of 
the  Daimyos,  who  had  always  been  little  sovereigns, 
like  our  feudal  barons,  gave  up  their  privileges  of  their 
own  accord,  and  laid  their  lands  and  revenues,  and  their 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


53 


armies  of  retainers,  at  the  Emperor’s  feet.  This  portent 
has  never  been  quite  accounted  for,  but  was  certainly 
the  greatest  factor  in  the  modernisation  and  unification 
of  Japan.  When  the  Satsuma  rebellion  broke  out,  some 
nine  years  later,  all  the  resources  of  the  country  were  at 
the  Emperor’s  disposal,  and  his  strength  not  too  heavily 
taxed  in  putting  it  down. 

The  removal  of  the  Imperial  Court  in  1869  from 
Kyoto  to  Yedo  (or,  as  it  was  now  called,  Tokyo,  the 
eastern  capital)  showed  that  the  Emperor  and  his 
advisers  meant  to  break  definitively  with  all  the  effemi- 
nate conditions  of  the  old  life ; but  this  had  to  be 
accomplished  with  extreme  caution.  The  Empress  re- 
mained in  Kyoto  for  some  months  after  the  Emperor 
had  left,  and  the  city  was  given  the  name  of  Saikyo, 
or  western  capital,  to  place  it  on  an  equal  footing  with 
the  new  centre  of  power.  It  was  shortly  after  this 
change  that  the  Emperor  took  the  oath  by  which  he 
promised  to  grant  a Parliament  and  rule  constitutionally. 
The  Constitution  took  nearly  ten  years  to  elaborate  on 
working  lines,  and  was  promulgated  in  February  last, 
as  I think  I told  you. 

Before  the  change  of  capital  was  accomplished,  the 
Emperor  had  consented  to  grant  audiences  to  the  For- 
eign Representatives ; and  the  country  learnt,  in  deep 
dismay,  that  the  sacred  countenance  of  the  Emperor, 
hidden  as  a rule  from  his  own  subjects,  was  to  be  gazed 
upon  by  the  alien  barbarian.  Poor  Sir  Harrj^  Parkes 
very  nearly  lost  his  life  on  his  way  to  enjoy  that  honour. 
He  was  attacked  by  two  wild  fanatics,  who  cut  down 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


5i 

nine  men  of  his  escort  before  they  were  captured ; and 
it  was  said  that,  but  for  the  valour  and  loyalty  of  Count 
Goto,  who  had  been  appointed  to  accompany  him,  the 
great  Britisher’s  work  would  have  been  cut  short  for 
ever  that  day.  The  Queen  sent  Count  Goto  a most 
beautiful  sword  in  recognition  of  his  services ; and  when 
I dined  with  him  a few  days  ago,  he  showed  me  the 

sword  with  sober  pride. 
He  is  a very  handsome 
man,  with  keen  dark  eyes 
and  snow-white  hair ; and 
his  wife  is  one  of  the 
two  Japanese  women  who 
have  something  like  a 
political  salon  and  count 
as  an  influence  in  public 
matters. 

But  I must  finish  my 
story,  so  that  you  may 
know  why  Treaty  Revi- 
sion is  always  coming  to 
the  front  in  our  affairs. 
Sir  Harry  . Parkes  and  the  other  foreigners  who  made 
the  existing  treaties  with  Japan  could,  to  a great  extent, 
count  on  the  goodwill  of  the  Government,  but  had 
daily  reasons  for  distrusting  the'  fanatical  populace  and 
the  disappointed  Daimyos  of  the  north,  who  had  lost 
power  when  the  Shogunate  fell.  It  was  only  natural 
that  the  foreigners  who  lived  and  traded  in  the  newly 
opened  treaty  ports  should  require  constant  protection, 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


55 


SO  they  were  put  under  the  authority  of  their  own  Con- 
suls, who  were  constituted  judges,  and  who  tried  all 
cases  where  foreigners  or  their  interests  were  concerned. 
This  arrangement,  a learned  friend  ^ tells  me,  is  of 
respectable  antiquity,  having  been  granted  by  an  Egyp- 
tian king  to  a Greek  colony  long  before  the  Christian 
era ; and  it  was  constantly  in  use  during  the  Middle 
Ages  for  Christians  resident  in  non-Christian  countries. 
The  Arabs,  he  says,  insisted  upon  the  privilege  for  their 
traders  in  China,  who  in  the  ninth  centurj^  obtained  per- 
mission from  the  Emperor  of  China  to  be  solely  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  a Mussulman  magistrate  in  Canton. 
On  this  principle  foreigners  were,  and  are,  practically 
independent  of  Japanese  jurisdiction,  and  can  only  be 
arrested  or  tried  by  their  own  countrymen  ; and  this  con- 
stitutes extra-territoriality.  The  concession  or  settlement 
in  the  treaty  port  is  a piece  of  land  handed  over  to  the 
foreigners,  where  they  do  their  own  lawgiving,  maintain 
their  own  police,  and  pay' no  taxes.  Of  course  the  Eng- 
lish residents  outnumber  all  those  of  the  other  nation- 
alities put  together,  and  each  settlement  is  practically 
a bit  of  England  planted  where  English  people  happen 
to  want  it. 

All  this  seems  very  ideal,  and  perhaps  was  so  twenty 
years  ago,  when  a few  enterprising  merchants  made 
large  fortunes  here  and  in  China.  But  the  accompany- 
ing restrictions  which  forbid  foreigners  to  travel  in  the 
country  outside  the  settlement,  except  with  passports 
which  can  only  be  issued  for  a limited  time  (three  months 

1 Mr.  Montague  Kirkwood. 


56 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


is  the  longest  granted,  except  to  officials)  — restrictions 
which  forbid  them  to  own  land  or  to  trade  outside  settle- 
ment limits,  — these  are  putting  foreign  trade  under 
such  disabilities,  that  our  commerce  absolutely  requires 
their  abolition  at  the  first  possible  moment.  The  Jap- 
anese on  their  side  say  that  they  have  reached  a point 
on  the  road  of  civilisation  when  they  can  no  longer 
allow  foreigners  to  administer  the  laws  on  Japanese 
ground  ; and  they  demand  that  the  old  settlements,  con- 
ceded while  Japan  was  still  emerging  from  her  political 
swaddling  clothes,  shall  be  ceded  to  the  Government ; 
that  foreigners,  as  in  other  countries,  shall  be  tried  by 
the  laws  of  the  land,  now  being  framed  on  the  most 
enlightened  Western  models  (chiefly  the  Code  Napoleon) ; 
and  that  extra-territoriality  shall  become  a thing  of  the 
past.  If  we  concede  this,  they  in  their  turn  promise  to 
open  up  the  country,  and  give  every  facility  for  the 
expansion  of  foreign  trade. 

The  arguments  on  both  sides  appear  quite  reason- 
able, but  unfortunately  Japan  is  nothing  like  ready  to 
be  taken  at  her  word  ; and  as  for  us  — well,  a whole 
settlement  of  British  merchants  in  every  port,  and  a 
Chamber  of  Commerce  just  across  the  water,  all  abso- 
lutely contented  with  things  as  they  are,  and  furiously 
opposed  to  any  change  which  might  enrich  their  country 
but  impoverish  individuals,  — this  constitutes  a quantity 
which  is  not  to  be  neglected  at  such  close  quarters  ; 
and  the  other  great  contracting  party  has  still  better 
reasons  for  not  hurrying  itself  over  the  practical  part  of 
revision,  although  political  decency  requires  that  all  sorts 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


57 


of  polite  things  should  be  said  about  it.  The  truth  is 
that  very  large  and  important  classes  of  the  population 
are  as  violently  opposed  to  the  inroads  of  the  foreigner 
as  they  ever  were,  and  a cautious  Government  finds  it 
not  easy  to  keep  the  retrograde  party  within  bounds. 
It  has  its  adherents  in 


plicity  of  Japanese  customs ; and  behind  these  legitimate 
objectors  is  a vast  body  of  newly  made  radicals,  the 
outcome  of  the  great  army  of  samurai  who  were  dis- 
banded when  the  Daimyos  gave  up  their  power  and 
the  feudal  system  was  abolished. 

These  men,  trained  through  the  traditions  of  a hun- 
dred generations  to  consider  fighting  the  only  possible 


every  class,  and  carries 
with  it  that  tremendous 
factor  in  Japanese  thought, 
veneration  for  the  past 
and  the  horror  of  any 
sacrilegious  rupture  with 
national  memories.  Joined 
to  this  comes,  among  the 
more  practical  men,  in- 
tense apprehension  lest 
the  all-devouring  foreigner, 
once  let  loose  in  the  coun- 
try, should  absorb  all  trade 
into  his  own  hands  ; lest 
foreign  money  and  foreign 
extravagance  should  de- 
stroy the  valuable  sim- 


A SAMURAI  WARRIOR 


58 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


occupation  for  a gentleman,  scorned  all  humbler  employ- 
ments, and  for  many  years  flocked  round  their  old  chiefs 
clamouring  for  leave  to  use  their  weapons.  Some  lost 
their  chief ; many  were  younger  sons  of  samurai^  and  as 
such  were  not  provided  for  in  the  retinue  of  the  local 
Daimyos;  and  all  these  went  wandering  about  under 
the  title  of  rbnins,  or  chiefless  men,  always  ready  for  a 
little  bloodshed,  and  nursing  imaginary  wrongs  to  keep 
up  the  fierce  spirit  of  their  class.  Such  were  the  men 
who  attacked  our  Legation  at  Takanawa  in  1861  and 
1862,  and  fought  so  ferociously  that,  as  an  eye-witness 
told  me,  the  house  ran  with  blood  and  looked  as  if 
two  armies  had  been  engaged  there.  Little  by  little  the 
samurai  have  been  drawn  into  the  administration,  into 
the  police,  into  anything  which  does  not  lower  their 
dignity  in  their  own  eyes  ; but  the  younger  generation 
is  a thorn  in  the  side  of  the  Government,  and  promises 
some  serious  obstruction  to  the  progress  of  the  country. 
They  have  received  a modern  education,  believe  in  very 
little,  and  hate  the  foreigner  with  the  inherited  hatred 
of  centuries.  These  boys  (for  they  are  little  more)  talk 
the  wildest  nonsense  about  Japan  for  the  Japanese.” 
While  affecting  to  discard  any  higher  beliefs  than  those 
they  have  educed  from  Darwin,  that  unwilling  heresiarch, 
or  the  rather  sawdusty  ethics  of  Herbert  Spencer,  they 
still  claim  profound  veneration  for  the  sacred  institutions 
of  old  Japan,  and  declare  that  there  will  be  no  peace 
or  prosperity  for  the  country  until  foreigners  are  expelled 
and  the  old  regulations  put  in  force  again.  They  are 
mostly  -very  poor,  and,  as  they  only  aspire  to  what 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


59 


they  consider  occupations  of  honour,  present  sometimes 
a pitifully  forlorn  appearance.  They  are  so  much  in 
earnest  that  one  cannot  help  being  intensely  sorry  for 
them ; but  they  are,  as  far  as  Japan  is  concerned,  a 
potent  cause  of  drawback  and  delay  in  the  revision 
of  the  treaties,  and,  inasmuch  as  they  do  not  confine 
themselves  to  words  for  the  enforcement  of  their  argu- 
ments, constitute  a daily  danger  to  the  public  peace. 
Swordsticks  are  their  favourite  weapons,  probably  because 
they  seem  to  bear  some  relation  to  the  two  swords  of 
which  they  have  been  permanently  deprived. 

The  soshi  is  a constant  trouble  and  embarrassment  in 
life.  The  other  day,  one,  a boy  of  eighteen  at  the  out- 
side, got  himself  admitted  into  the  Legation  grounds  on 
some  pretext,  walked  into  the  Chancery,  and  demanded, 
rather  imperiously,  an  interview  with  the  Minister. 
The  Japanese  Secretary  told  him  he  could  not  see  the 
Minister,  and  asked  what  he  wanted,  thinking  from  his 
poor  clothes  and  wasted  appearance  that  he  might  be 
seeking  work.  The  boy  got  quite  excited,  and  said 
that  he  must  see  the  Minister,  who,  he  considered, 
was  doing  a great  wrong  in  pressing  Treaty  Revision 
on  the  Government.  He  wished  to  explain  his  views 
to  the  British  Representative,  and  to  tell  him  that  he 
was  only  one  of  many  who  would  save  Japan  from 

foreign  usurpation  at  all  costs.  Mr.  G , I am  sorry 

to  say,  got  extremely  angry  with  him,  told  him  he  was 
a mere  child,  and  had  better  finish  growing  up  before 
he  asked  to  talk  with  men,  and  sent  him  away,  poor 
boy,  desperately  unhappy.  But  many  others  come  to 


60 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


the  gate  asking  to  speak  to  H ; and  seeing  their 

utter  recklessness  and  their  fondness  for  swordsticks, 
I am  rather  glad  they  do  not  get  in. 

The  soslii  are  banded  in  clubs  all  over  the  country, 
and  the  Government  seems  to  us  a little  weak  in  not 
dealing  more  summarily  with  them  and  their  seditious 
speeches.  They  profess  great  veneration  for  the  sacred 
person  of  the  Emperor,  but  declare  that  he  is  surrounded 
by  traitors,  so  their  devotion  does  not  make  for  peace 
and  harmony. 

I fancy  we  shall  see  some  curious  scenes  when  the 
first  Parliament  is  opened  next  spring.  As  I have  said, 
there  are  opponents  of  the  new  order  here  and  there 
in  all  classes  of  society ; but  the  visionary  soshi  are 
the  only  people  who  believe  in  the  possibility  of  putting 
the  world’s  clock  back  by  thirty  or  forty  years.  The 
more  educated  reactionists  have  accepted  foreign  inter- 
course as  an  inevitable  necessity,  and  are  none  the  less 
polite  to  us  individually  because  collectively  they  would 
like  to  see  us  sail  away  from  their  shores  never  to 
return.  The  law  students,  for  instance,  are  protesting 
furiously  against  the  codification  of  the  laws,  for  which 
they  declare  the  country  is  still  unripe ; but  it  is  much 
suspected  that  their  dislike  to  the  new  code  is  grounded 
on  the  fact  that  it  is  a task  which  can  only  be  carried 
out  by  foreigners. 

One  of  the  Tokyo  newspapers,  the  Nichi  Niclii 
Sliimbun  (the  day-by-day  journal),  has  been  giving  a 
very  just  appreciation  of  the  relative  positions  of  Japan 
and  China.  It  interests  me  from  our  having  been  so 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


61 


long  in  China  before  coming  here.  Though  only  five 
days  distant,  China  has  never  been  able  to  get  a clear 
idea  of  modern  Japan,  and  cannot  lay  aside  a certain 
amount  of  swagger  in  her  manner  to  the  younger  nation, 
which  was  once  her  eager  pupil,  but  never  her  tributary, 
as  has  so  often  been  asserted.  The  journalist  dwells 
on  the  great  need  of  caution  in  dealing  with  China, 
who,  half  jealous,  half  contemptuous  of  Japan,  is  always 
ready  to  pick  a quarrel,  which  would  be  profoundly 
disadvantageous  to  both  countries.  On  the  other  hand, 
Japan  has  the  proud  consciousness  of  never  having 
been  worsted  by  China  in  fair  fight,  joined  to  the 
uncomfortable  conviction  of  her  neighbour’s  unmerited 
contempt.  Quarrels  seem  imminent ; but  the  writer 
wisely  reminds  his  countrymen  that  they  would  bring 
no  good  to  either  party,  and  would  only  give  European 
powers  a chance  to  seize  territory  and  extend  their  in- 
fluence under  the  pretext  of  restoring  harmony.  The 
Chinese  seem  to  have  very  little  in  common  with  modern 
Japanese ; and  when  we  meet  the  Celestial  diplomatists 
at  official  dinners,  they  give  me  the  impression  of  peo- 
ple who  are  living  among  enemies  under  a flag  of  truce, 
and  do  not  quite  like  the  situation. 

No  one  has  been  much  surprised  to  hear  that  Count 
Itagaki’s  would-be  assassin  has  found  a follower  in  a 
gentleman  who  proposed  to  murder  Count  Goto  for 
entering  a Ministry  which  he  condemned  in  public 
speeches  last  year.  After  all,  that  seems  to  be  more 
Count  Goto’s  affair  than  that  of  an  obscure  policeman ; 
but  the  policemen  evidently  do  a good  deal  of  political 


62 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


thinking  in  this  part  of  the  world.  A letter  was  seized 
in  wliich  the  policeman  confided  his  views  to  a brother, 
and  he  was  arrested  on  his  way  to  commit  the  crime. 
It  must  take  some  personal  courage  to  be  a Cabinet 
Minister  in  Japan. 

But  courage  is  certainly  a national  virtue.  The 
other  day  two  thieves  armed  with  knives  broke  into  a 
house  wdiere  a woman  was  quite  alone,  and  threatened 
her  with  death  if  she  did  not  give  up  her  property. 
She  pretended  to  consent,  apparently  shivering  with 
terror ; and  they  took  no  more  notice  of  her,  and  stuck 
their  knives  in  the  mats  while  they  collected  her  few 
valuables.  She  waited  until  they  were  quite  absorbed 
in  their  work,  and  then  seized  both  knives,  and  attacked 
the  robbers  so  valiantly  that  they  fled,  leaving  their 
spoils  on  the  ground. 

The  thieves  here  choose  the  most  mimanageable  kind 
of  loot,  it  seems  to  me.  Five  ground  pines,  valued  at 
over  three  thousand  dollars,  were  carried  off  from  a 
nursery  garden  last  week ! As  soon  as  the  rain  will  let 
me,  I am  going  to  some  of  the  tree  fairs,  where  you  see 
everything  growing  the  wrong  way  round,  as  it  were. 

I was  very  much  amused,  just  after  we  came,  to  see 
the  gardeners  taking  the  pine  trees  out  of  their  winter 
caging,  built  up  to  protect  the  delicate,  shapely  twigs 
from  all  danger  of  being  broken  by  a heavy  snow. 
This  is  done  by  planting  a mast  as  a supplementary 
trunk  beside  the  living  one,  and  training  a network  like 
tent-cords  down  from  its  top  to  catch  the  larger  branches 
and  sustain  their  weight.  From  these,  smaller  cords 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


63 


drop  and  interlace,  till  every  twig  hangs  on  a string, 
and  could  carry  a heavy  weight  of  snow  without  injurj^ 
These  supports  were  only  removed  in  May,  when  all 
danger  of  a serious  snowfall  was  past;  and  at  the  same 
time  the  bananas  and  sago  palms  were  divested  of  their 


CHARITY  COMMITTEE 

straw  wrappings,  and  shook  out  pale-green  shoots,  which 
had  been  pushing  up  in  the  darkness ; they  soon  lost 
their  paleness  in  the  hot  sun  and  drenching  rain  which 
have  visited  us  alternately  for  the  last  few  weeks. 

I was  speaking  in  my  last  letter  of  the  Empress’s 
great  interest  in  charitable  work.  Rather  a touching 
little  statement  has  been  published  of  the  way  in  which 


64 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


she  has  provided  extra  help  for  an  institution  of  her 
own  founding,  the  Tokyo  Charity  Hospital.  The  Hos- 
pital has  outgrown  its  accommodation,  and  new  build- 
ings had  become  an  absolute  necessity ; so  the  Empress 
started  the  subscription  by  cutting  down  everything 
that  could  be  cut  down  in  her  private  expenses  (always 
heavily  bui;dened  with  benevolent  work),  and  as  a 
result  has  sent  to  the  Hospital  the  respectable  sum  of 
8446  dollars  and  8 rin.  Ten  rin  go  to  one  sen,  of 
which  a hundred  go  to  a dollar,  worth  about  two  shil- 
lings ; so  you  see  with  what  loving  conscientiousness 
the  economy  has  been  carried  out.  One  of  the  Em- 
press’s ladies  told  me  that  for  the  last  year  her  Majesty 
had  hardly  bought  ^^a  glove  or  a pocket-handkerchief,” 
and  that  the  thought  of  sick  people  being  denied  the 
help  they  needed  was  a source  of  profound  pain  to  her. 
She  constantly  visits  the  hospitals,  and  on  those  occa- 
sions stops  beside  every  bed  in  every  ward  to  say  a 
kind  word  to  the  patients.  The  process  begins  at  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  continues  till  one,  when  a 
light  lunch  is  served,  is  immediately  renewed,  and  goes 
on  till  about  five,  when  even  the  Empress  admits  that 
she  is  tired,  and  her  ladies  say  they  ^^do  not  know 
where  their  feet  are.” 

She  has  done  as  much  for  women’s  education  as 
she  has  for  the  hospitals ; and  the  Peeress’s  School,” 
taught  in  great  part  by  English  and  American  ladies, 
was  founded  by  her.  The  Japanese  girls  fall  quickly 
in  love  with  the  higher  education,  and  work  enthusias- 
tically to  obtain  their  diplomas.  One  curious  outcome 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


65 


of  this  advance  is  a Society  for  the  Correction  of 
Morals/’  composed  of  Japanese  women,  many  of  them 
Christians.  They  hold  meetings,  and  get  distinguished 
men  to  give  lectures  for  them,  and  just  now  are  pre- 
paring to  petition  the  Government  for  a change  of  the 
laws  relating  to  marriage,  asking  that  unfaithfulness  in 
a husband  shall  be  punished  as  severely  as  the  same 
crime  in  a wife,  for  which  the  penalties  here  are  very 
heavy.  It  is  not  stated  how  they  propose  to  deal  with 
the  legalised  concubinage  which,  although  diminishing, 
is  still  customary  here,  and  which  the  pagan  wife  hardly 
resents,  since  it  is  not  allowed  to  interfere  in  any  way 
with  her  rights  or  dignity.  To  the  Christian  woman 
there  is,  of  course,  another  side  to  the  case.  But  I 
would  like  to  say  one  thing  on  these  subjects  to  my 
Japanese  sisters  — namely,  that  they  are  not  the  only 
women  who  have  asked  that  men’s  morals  should  be 
put  in  petticoats  and  regulated  by  law;  and  that  there 
is  but  one  answer  possible  to  the  demand,  whether  it 
come  from  women  of  the  East  or  women  of  the  West, 
and  it  is  this : the  only  law  which  can  enforce  a pure 
life  must  be  a divine  one ; but  the  best  policeman  for 
your  husband’s  heart  is  yourself.  If  you  have  not  the 
sweetness  and  the  wit  to  make  him  love  you  and  you 
alone,  you  will  appeal  in  vain  to  the  magistrates  to 
help  you. 

I am  afraid  this  has  been  a very  sombre  day’s  writ- 
ing ! Please  put  it  down  to  the  rain,  which  makes  one 
feel  old  and  serious.  If  only  the  sun  will  dry  things 
a little,  you  shall  have  something  brighter  next  time. 


VOL. 


F 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  SEA  TEMPLES  OF  MIYAJIMA.  — THE  SPIRIT  OF  PEACE. — 
THE  PRINCE  IMPERIAL. — THE  LAST  OF  THE  SHOGUNS. — 
ENGLISH  ACCLIMATISED. — THE  QUEEN  OF  MOUNTAINS. — 
STREET  SIGHTS  AND  SOUNDS.  — THE  TSUKIJI  ORPHANAGE 


JAPANESE  friend  has  been  telling  me  stories 


about  the  Island  Temple  of  Miyajima,  which  I 
saw  at  a distance  when  we  were  passing  through  the 
Inland  Sea.  It  has  more  than  one  name,  but  this  one 
means ‘^Temple  Island”;  and  the  divinities,  seeing  how 
beautiful  it  was,  evidently  disagreed  about  it,  for  it 
seems  to  belong  to  two  or  three  in  part  and  to  none 
entirely.  The  Shinto  rites  are  practised  there,  and 
originally  they  were  directed  to  the  worship  of  the 
spirits  of  the  mountain ; but  these  have  had  to  give 
way  before  the  alluring  sovereignty  of  a lovely  god- 
dess, the  Princess  Sayori,  who  seems  to  have  sprung 
from  the  wave,  even  as  our  Aphrodite  did  in  Cyprus, 
and  whom  the  sailor  lads  call  the  goddess  of  the  sea, 
their  especial  friend  and  protectress.  In  honour  of 
her  sweetness,  beautiful  deer  wander  all  over  the  island, 
and  come  and  put  their  noses  into  visitors’  hands,  ask- 
ing to  be  fed,  tame  and  gentle  as  the  deer  in  Eden, 


July,  1889. 


66 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


67 


According  to  national  tradition,  the  first  shrine  was 
built  on  Miyajima  in  the  seventh  century  of  our  era ; 
but  its  present  grandeur  dates  from  the  time  of  Taira 
Kiyomori,  who  won  here  a great  victory  for  the  dis- 
puted succession  to  the  throne  of  Go  Shirakawa,  who 
in  consequence  became  Emperor  in  1156.  Kiyomori 
was  raised  to  a very  pinnacle  of  power,  and  showed  his 


because  no  one  is  ever  allowed  to  molest  them ; and 
it  is  forbidden  to  introduce  dogs  into  the  island. 
Neither  may  deaths  or  births  take  place  there ; the 
dying  are  ferried  to  the  mainland,  that  the  happy  soil 
may  never  be  tainted  by  grief  or  polluted  by  corrup- 
tion ; and  no  child  may  begin  life’s  solemn  pilgrimage 
on  Sayori’s  Island. 


AT  MIYAJIMA 


68 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


thankfulness  by  beautifying  the  spot  where  he  had 
obtained  his  triumph.  Three  lovely  temples  are  spread 
almost  on  the  bosom  of  the  water,  on  tiny  islands 
connected  by  raised  galleries  one  with  another.  These 
galleries,  supported  on  piles,  are  roofed  and  latticed  with 
carved  woods  painted  a vivid  scarlet.  At  high  tide 
the  footway  is  all  under  water,  only  its  delicate  pillars 
and  roofing  showing  like  coral  branches  between  sea 
and  sky.  On  festival  nights,  and  more  especially  during 
the  Feast  of  the  Dead,  when  for  three  days  in  the 
heart  of  the  summer  countless  pilgrims  crowd  to  the 
shrine,  these  galleries  are  hung  with  thousands  of 
lanterns,  making  long  chains  of  light  across  the  water; 
and  the  pines  stretch  their  dark  arms  down  over  the 
waves,  as  if  to  welcome  the  homesick  spirits  winging 
unseen  to  shore. 

There  is  no  country  in  the  whole  world  which  has 
been  so  drenched  in  bloodshed  as  Japan  — it  seems  as 
if  the  very  sap  of  the  trees  must  be  red ; and  yet 
nowhere  does  the  spirit  of  peace  brood  visibly  and 
everlastingly  over  sea  and  land,  town  and  temple,  as  it 
does  here. 

One  hears  of  terrific  volcanic  explosions,  of  earth- 
quakes, and  of  disastrous  floods,  such  as  those  which 
are  now  laying  waste  the  villages  of  the  south,  where 
the  rivers  are  gone  mad,  intoxicated  by  too  much  rain. 
But  these  things  do  not  seem  to  break  through  the 
primeval  calms  of  Japan.  The  ruined  peasant  does  not 
indulge  in  lamentations,  but  smilingly  rebuilds  his  hut 
the  moment  the  soil  can  carry  it.  After  whole  streets 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


69 


of  shops  have  been  destroyed  by  the  frightful  fires 
which  so  constantly  break  out  in  Tokyo,  one  drives 
down  to  look  at  the  ruin,  and  one  sees  business  going 
on  again  cheerily  in  booths  and  sheds  run  up  anyhow 
on  the  yet  hot  ashes  of  yesterday’s  disaster.  The  in- 
evitable need  not  be  the  irretrievable;  and  this  know- 
ledge must  make  for  peace,  since  only  the  irretrievable 
need  cause  despair.  But  there  are  deeper  reasons  for 
this  manifest  peace,  and  I fancy  they  must  lie  in  some 
yet  undiscovered  harmonies  and  submissions  of  the 
national  character,  which  has  through  so  many  cen- 
turies of  isolation  had  time  to  fill  out  every  corner 
and  interstice  of  Nature’s  inexorable  mould.  It  would 
seem  that,  for  the  perfection  of  a type,  internecine 
wars  and  disturbances  tend  to  develope  rather  than  to 
modify  its  distinguishing  characteristics.  The  vicissi- 
tudes result  in  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  those  in 
whom  the  national  character  finds  its  strongest  exam- 
ples. Among  Western  peoples  we  notice  that  the  more 
highly  educated  and  developed  a class  becomes,  the 
more  it  resembles  the  corresponding  class  of  any  other 
country;  aristocrats  are  first  cousins  everywhere  in 
Europe,  and  original  racial  differences  are  often  only 
shown  in  the  peasant  and  the  plebeian.  But  in  Japan 
the  case  is  reversed.  The  peasant  might  find  his  first 
cousin  in  the  Chinese,  the  Cossack,  the  Corean,  or  even, 
as  some  have  suggested,  in  the  Tooltec  Indian  of  Cen- 
tral America ; but  the  Japanese  aristocrat  is  as  unmis- 
takable as  the  thorough-bred.  It  would  be  more  possible 
to  confuse  racers  with  dray-horses  than  to  take  him  for 


70 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


anything  but  what  he  is,  a fine  gentleman,  the  outcome 
of  a dozen  centuries  of  pride,  courage,  and  self-control. 
And  this  goes  to  support  another  of  my  theories  (you 
know  my  weakness  for  generalisation),  that  the  success 
of  education,  whether  for  school-children  or  nationalities, 
depends  far  more  on  continuity  than  on  quality. 

Such  continuity  has  had  full  play  here : that  which 
is  now  thought  good,  or  great,  or  beautiful  has  been 
thought  so  since  the  dawn  of  history ; crimes  and  vir- 
tues have  the  same  names  that  they  bore  in  the  days 
of  Jimmu  Tenno,  the  first  Emperor ; there  has  been  no 
real  change  in  the  values  of  the  important  affairs  of 
life ; and  those  things  which  have  been  brought  in, 
such  as  Buddhism  and  Chinese  literature,  have  become 
incorporated  among  Japan’s  properties  without  intro- 
ducing any  marked  resemblance  to  the  nation  from 
whom  she  borrowed  them.  I think  it  must  be  this 
eclectic  quality  in  the  Japanese  which  causes  them  to 
be  so  severely  criticised  by  Europeans,  who  see  them 
take  up  new  ideas  with  enthusiasm,  and  drop  them 
again  as  easily.  But  the  truth  is  that  the  taking 
up,”  this  ^^let  us  see  what  it  is  made  of”  system,  is 
the  only  practical  method  of  selection ; and  close  ob- 
servers will  note  that,  although,  for  instance,  German 
waltzing  and  French  frocks  are  less  popular  than  they 
were  five  years  ago,  the  army  is  on  a very  much  more 
German  footing,  an  Imperial  Prince,  Kotohito  Kanin, 
has  just  taken  his  certificate  of  proficiency  in  a French 
naval  school,  and  the  Empress  sent  the  matrons  of 
her  Charity  Hospital  to  get  their  training  in  London. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


71 


All  this  is  significant  enough  as  to  the  true  attitude 
of  the  more  enlightened  Japanese  ; but  the  education 
of  Prince  Haru,  the  heir  to  the  throne,  is  the  most 
notable  tribute  to  European  ideas  yet  paid  by  this 
country.  ~ 

The  little  Prince  is  ten  years  old,  and  is,  I fancy, 
rather  delicate.  I saw  him  driving  with  his  governor 
and  two  boy  friends  the 
other  day.  He  has  a fine 
pale  face,  and  piercing  dark  ' 
eyes.  Perhaps  the  paleness 
has  misled  me  as  to  his 
health  (I  cannot  but  remem- 
ber the  rosy  cheeks  of  our 
schoolboys  at  home),  for  his 
own  people  say  that  he  is 
strong  and  healthy,  fond  of 
outdoor  exercise,  and  already 
well-trained  in  fencing  and 
single-stick.  He  is  the  first 
heir  to  the  throne  of  Japan  the  prince  imperial  at  ten 

, , •11  • , 1 1 • YEARS  OP  AGE 

who  has  mingled  with  his 

future  subjects  at  school  and  play.  He  goes  every  day 
to  the  Nobles’  School,  a splendid  building  not  far  from 
us ; and  there  he  learns  his  lessons  and  plays  his  games 
just  as  the  other  children  do.  The  innate  reverence 
for  the  imperial  family  doubtless  prevents  the  games 
from  becoming  too  rough,  but  I believe  the  lessons  are 
very  impartially  dealt  with.  The  Prince  takes  cold 
baths,  eats  meat,  and  will  have  no  women  to  wait  on 


72 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


him,  an  extremely  legitimate  prejudice,  which  recalls 
to  my  mind  a family  tradition  of  a certain  Master 
John,  one  or  two  generations  ago,  who  at  the  age  of 
five  refused  to  walk  down  the  same  side  of  the  street 
as  his  nurse,  saying  that  men  didn’t  care  to  have  a 
lot  of  women  hanging  after  them.”  The  little  Prince 
does  not  walk  in  the  street,  but  is  fond  of  a good 
romp  on  the  seashore,  and  already  delights  in  beauti- 
ful -scenery.  They  say  that  he  is  kind  and  thoughtful 
to  those  around  him  and  to  his  school  friends.  The 
whole  description  of  the  little  character  reminds  one  of 
the  Prince  of  Naples  at  the  same  age.  Prince  Haru 
is  fond  of  horses,  and  is  sometimes  taken  to  the  mild 
races  which  are  occasionally  run  here.  The  Emperor 
has  just  shown  his  interest  in  the  subject  by  sending 
a thousand  dollars  for  the  new  grand  stand  which 
is  being  built  on  the  racecourse  at  Negishi,  near 
Yokohama. 

The  papers  tell  us  that  the  last  Shogun,  Yoshinobu 
or  Keiki,  who  so  unwillingly  abdicated  in  1868,  has 
arrived  in  Tokyo,  and  is  staying  with  his  relation. 
Prince  Tokugawa  lesato.  It  must  be  rather  sad  for 
him  to  return  as  a private  gentleman  to  this  seat  of 
the  past  glories  of  his  line.  Did  not  Keble  say : 

But  we,  like  vexed  unquiet  sprites, 

Will  still  be  hovering  o’er  the  tomb 
Where  buried  lie  our  vain  delights  ” ? 

If  I had  my  way,  I would  make  a little  supple- 
mentary world  for  such  splendid  ghosts  as  Tokugawa 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


73 


Shoguns,  and  Danieli  Doges,  and  old  moons.  It  would 
make  an  admirable  reformatory  for  new-broom  radicals, 
and  one  might  spend  a few  solemn  days  there  oneself 
when  one  felt  the  novelty  fever  too  strong  upon  one. 
By  the  way,  a Japanese  acquaintance  told  me  that  the 
title  of  Prince  is  never  used  by  them  except  for  a 
member  of  the  Imperial  family.  The  highest  title 
ever  given  to  a subject  is  that  of  Kosliaku,  which 
means  Duke  or  Marquis,  according  to  the  character  in 
which  it  is  written.  I protested,  having  seen  this 
word  Prince  on  more  than  one  visiting  card,  and  in 
the  Court  official  lists. 

Why  do  you  translate  it  Prince,  if  it  is  not 
Prince  ? ” I asked  rather  indignantly. 

Well,  you  see”  (my  friend  rubbed  his  chin,  and 
looked  at  me  with  a twinkle  in  his  eye),  ^Sve  were 
translating  — to  the  Germans ! ” 

A most  amusing  book  has  just  been  published 
here,  purporting  to  give  the  Japanese  student  a correct 
expression  of  his  commercial  aspirations  and  necessities 
in  English.  Why  does  our  unfortunate  language  lend 
itself  so  easily  to  these  absurdities  ? English  as  she 
is  spoke  ” was  hardly  a greater  joy  than  this  bold 
manual,  and  I cannot  resist  enclosing  to  you  some 
extracts  from  the  witty  review  in  the  Japan  Mail. 
As  I am  beginning  to  collect  curios,  I shall  at  once 
send  out  to  buy  sea-mouse,”  dqe,”  chanqhor,”  and 
scrippers  ” ! The  writer  states  that  the  book  is  for 
the  gentlemen  who  regard  on  commercial  and  an 
official.” 


74 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Two  dunning  letters  are  given,  and  in  both 
instances  they  are  plainly  intended  to  betray  the 
natural  irritation  consequent  upon  long-deferred  settle- 
ment of  a debt : 

Page  16 : 

beg  to  draw  your 
attention  to  the  enclosed  acc- 
ount, and  to  state  that  ip  it 
is  not  settled  for  next  week 
I shall  be  compelled  to  ploce  it 
for  atternegs  bond/ 

The  one  on  the  following  page  evinces  still  greater 
irritation  at  the  very  outset : 

‘ Having  applied  to  you  Repeatedlg  but.  ineffectuallg  for  a settle- 
ment, I have  now  to  intimate  ....  that  I shall  ploce  it  in  my 
solicitois  hands  for  Recovery.’ 

Note  also  the  following : 

‘ Gentlemen, 

we  have  this  day  forward  e 
to  your  care,  per  Orientoel  slea- 
mer  & co.,  25  packages  qer  ^‘yamasiromoru” 
consigned  to  Mr.  Yamaugchi 
& CO.,  of  that  port.  Bill  of 
landing,  and  statement  of  shi- 
pping charges,  please  transmit. 

At  foot  particulars  of  the  shipp- 
ment  We  are, 

Jentlemen, 
your  edient, 
particulars  of  shipment, 

M 15  cases  1500’  pice  chintr.’ 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


75 


Somewhat  less  lucid  still  is  the  following  announce- 
ment of  a change  in  the  style  of  a firm : 

^ we  beg  leave  to  infonu  you 
that  we  this  day  admited  mr 
fujimura  as  partner  in  our  busi- 
ness here.  In  futu- 
re the  otyll  of  our  frim  will 
be  Yoshimwra  & Co.’ 

The  ^ juniority  ’ of  the  new  partner  in  this  case  is 
admirably  expressed  by  the  want  of  capital  letters  in 
his  name.  Yoshimwra  is  evidently  Welsh  for  Yoshi- 
mura,  though  why  the  author  should  prefer  this  language 
is  not  apparent.  ^ Otyll  ’ we  take  to  mean  ^ style  ’ ; but 
this,  of  course,  must  remain  a mere  hypothesis. 

Insinuating  is  the  style  of  another  letter  (page  47), 
in  which  the  writer  requests  a friend  to  ^ glad  me  ’ 
with  a loan,  if  it  does  not  intrench  on  the  friend’s  ^ oawn 
conwenien  ce  ’ ; he  mournfully  states  that  he  is  being 
^ put  to  exceedingey  persecution,’  and  is  in  ^ painfule 
difficulty.’ 

Still  another  writer  is  incoherently  indignant  about 
the  state  of  certain  goods  forwarded  him.  He  says : 

‘ of  tbe  pared  of  sewed  mu- 
lins  I have  had  to  reject  fif 
ty  picls  as  being  un  saleable; 
twenty  pieces  are  tosn  in  siveral  places 
and  the  others  are  without  headivgs.’ 

This  must  have  been  a fearful  blow  to  the  shippers, 
for  their  reply  is  indicative  of  great  mental  pressure, 
if  not  of  incipient  mania: 


76 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


^Dear  Sir, 

The  contents  of  your  favo- 
ur of  yesterday’s  date  sur  prised 
considerably,  us  our  wareho- 
usemen have  explicit 
instru  ctioni  to  supply  our  cus 
tomers  with  perfect  goods  only, 
and  return  the  unsound  to  the 
manu  foctuar.  It  is  ebidient,  ho- 
weves,  thot  they  packed  your 
goods  without  exainininy  them. 

We  regvt  excee  dinglyect.  . . . 

Trusting  that  you  have  not  been 
seriously  inconve  nien- 
ced  through  the  monifest  remiss- 
ess  of  ovr  ewpoyes.’ 

the  end  of  the  book  is  a list  of  commercial 
terms  and  names  of  exports,  which  repays  perusal. 
^ Promissionary  notes  ’ has  rather  a religious  than  a 
commercial  sound.  ^ Bankroptny  ’ and  ^ bankruqty  ’ are 
evidently  so  spelled  with  an  eye  to  lessen  the  attendant 
disgrace.  ^ Gross  waigh  ’ is  an  unknown  quantity. 
Among  exports,  Gsoop,’  ^scrippers,’  ^sea-mouse,’  ^ quoin,’ 
^ mouseline  of  lines,’  ^ dqe,’  ^ goldwoteh,’  ^ chamqhor,’  ^ ass,’ 
^ jam,’  and  ^ frorid  water,’  are  of  interest  to  the  student.” 
These  strange  products  of  the  far  East  are  almost 
equalled  by  some  for  which  I was  called  upon  to  pay 
the  other  day.  Ogita  speaks  English  much  better 
than  he  writes  it.  Imagine  my  surprise  on  receiving 
the  following  bill : 

^^Blue  Showl  

7 7 /lO  yards  Whitish  brown  ? Race 

JJ  V 

10  4/20  yards  mud  colour  Race  ... 


...  2.  35. 

...  2.  31. 

...  1.  32. 

...  1.  66  4/10.” 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


77 


The  arithmetic  got  very  mixed  in  the  addition,  which, 
with  some  other  items,  amounted  to  6.  644.  some- 
things— currency  unstated.  The  English  of  the  sign- 
boards in  the  streets  is  equally  graphic : Highly 

perfumed  waters  ” turn  out  to  be  tins  of  kerosene ; 

Deal  beer,”  Wine  and  other,”  require  reflection, 
but  such  advertisements  as  this  one,  of  new  foot-balls, 
explain  themselves ! 


AN  ADVERTISEMENT 


Any  walk  that  one  tries  to  take  just  now  might 
well  be  described  as  a mud-coloured  race,  for  the  rain 
still  comes  pattering  down  at  intervals,  though  not  so 
persistently  as  it  did  in  June.  Meanwhile  the  country 
is  very  green  and  beautiful  to  look  at,  and  the  view 
from  my  upstairs  verandah  most  alluring.  I can  see, 
I think,  every  house  in  Kojimachi,”  as  this  quarter 
of  the  town  is  called ; but  between  the  houses  are  so 
many  trees  that  one  can  hardly  believe  one  is  in  the 
heart  of  a great  city.  My  windows  look  to  the  west, 
and  Fuji,  the  queen  of  mountains,  bounds  my  world. 


78 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAK 


In  the  dawn  (and  in  these  long  warm  days  I am  glad 
to  come  out  for  a cool  breath  in  the  early  hours)  Fuji 
looks  cold  and  dimly  white  till  the  sun  creeps  up  over 
the  bay,  and  then  she  takes  the  most  lovely  rosy  flush 
against  the  morning  sky.  The  mountain  comes  to 
dominate  outer  life  in  a curious  way,  and  I do  not 
wonder  that  folk-lore  has  crowned  it  as  a sacred  and 
powerful  personality.  On  the  days  when  clouds  hang 
between  us  and  it,  I am  dissatisfied,  and  homesick  as 
for  the  face  of  a friend. 

But  the  near  landscape  gives  me  enough  to  watch 
through  many  an  amused  hour.  The  houses  nestle 
close  among  the  trees,  with  strange  gables  and  latticed 
upper  windows,  from  which,  perhaps,  looks  out  some 
dainty  little  lady,  with  a pale  face  and  dark  eyes  and 
marvellously  dressed  head.  She  pulls  a flower  or  two 
from  her  tiny  hanging  garden,  and  goes  in  again  to 
bring  out  a gorgeous  silk  quilt,  which  she  hangs  over 
the  balcony  to  air.  Sounds  of  strange  music  come 
floating  up  to  my  window  from  a house  in  the  valley 
below  our  garden.  My  maid  tells  me  that  a teacher 
of  music  lives  there,  and  the  place  is  never  silent.  The 
twang  of  the  koto  is  strong  and  patlietic,  and  very  melo- 
dious in  skilled  hands ; then  there  is  the  humming  note 
of  the  samisen,  which  accompanies  every  festival  or  holi- 
day-making in  the  humbler  houses.  Drums  rattle  farther 
off ; the  masseur,  the  blind  amma,  pipes  thin  sweet  airs 
on  his  bunch  of  reeds  ; the  medicine-seller  or  the  news- 
paper-man, as  he  goes  on  his  rounds,  rings  a little  bell 
continuously,  a tinkle  as  light  and  musical  as  a falling 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


79 


brook ; far  away  a gang  of  coolies  pushing  some  heavy 
load  are  marking  time  with  a long  cry  and  a short  one ; 
a beautiful  phrase,  worthy  to  be  the  theme  of  a fugue, 
comes  up  to  me  in  a clear  childish  voice,  moving  quickly 
along  the  sunken  street.  I sent  out  to  ask  who  it  was, 
as  it  is  repeated  every  evening  at  this  hour;  and  O’Matsu, 
my  amah,  has  just  come  in  to  say  that  it  is  a young  girl 
selling  millet  cakes.  And  above  all  the  rest,  from  the 
distant  temple  on  the  hill,  rolls  out  the  deep  note  of  a 
great  bronze  bell,  strong  and  low,  and  vibrating  steadily 
on  the  warm  air,  while  the  lesser  noises  run  to  and  fro 
and  spend  themselves  below  it. 

As  the  evening  shadows  fall,  and  the  rain  ceases, 
all  our  servants’  children  come  out  to  play  in  the  more 
remote  parts  of  the  grounds,  and  I hear  little  shrieks 
of  happiness,  and  see  a kite  tossing  madly  above  the 
trees.  Then  one,  two,  three  little  heads  will  cautiously 
peep  through  the  shrubs  to  see  if  any  gardener  is  near. 
No,  the  lawn  is  empty,  and  Kokichi  and  his  assistants 
have  withdrawn  to  their  quarters  for  the  night  — even 
the  Dachs  family  are  all  engaged  in  digging  for  the 
toad  who  lives  under  the  flagstaff ; so  three  little  people 
decide  to  commit  a terrible  breach  of  discipline,  and 
come  close  to  the  house,  first  to  try  and  have  another 
look  at  the  English  Okusama,”  who  is  always  a most 
interesting  object,  and  then  to  see  if  she  is  inclined  to 
bestow  any  more  wonderful  pink  cakes  such  as  they 
got  last  Sunday ! To  Okusama,  who  is  watching  them 
as  they  hesitate,  it  looks  as  if  the  trees  had  suddenly 
bloomed  into  flowers ; for  the  little  maidens’  garments 


80 


LETTERS  FROM  JAP  AFT 


are  of  the  brightest  colours,  and  in  their  small  dark 
heads  are  set  pins  of  silver  roses  and  coral  beads.  Hand 
tightly  held  in  hand,  they  patter  across  the  soft  grass, 
too  fast  for  the  smallest  one,  who  soon  drops  a sandal, 
and  has  to  be  comforted  and  shod  again  by  the  motherly 
mite  in  charge  of  her.  By  the  time  they  have  reached 
the  rose  garden  under  my  window,  I am  ready  to  meet 
them,  with  three  pink  cakes  in  three  bits  of  paper,  and 
one  more  for  a baby  brother  at  home.  The  quick  East- 
ern night  is  already  shedding  its  hush  over  the  quiet 
gardens,  so  I tell  the  mites  to  run  along  to  their  mother, 
who  lives  in  the  gatehouse ; and  they  nod  wisely,  and 
look  round  a little  frightened  at  the  distance  to  be  trav- 
ersed. When  asked  what  they  are  afraid  of,  the  eldest 
replies  that  there  are  tigers  in  the  gardens,  it  is  well 
known,  and  — nobody  likes  tigers  ! When  reasoned  with, 
she  declares  that  she  has  often  heard  them  roaring  at 
night,  and  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  send  them  back 
under  the  escort  of  O’Matsu,  who  is  supposed  to  be  quite 
capable  of  overcoming  the  casual  tiger.  O’Matsu  con- 
voys them  away  smiling  (nobody  can  be  cross  with  Jap- 
anese children),  and  when  she  returns  tells  me  that  the 
pink  cakes  were  considered  too  fine  to  eat,  and  have 
been  put  in  state  on  the  table  in  the  niche  of  honour, 
beside  those  which  I gave  them  last  week ! 

I have  fallen  deeply  in  love  with  a gentleman  of 
uncertain  age  (two  at  the  outside,  I should  think),  whom 
the  nuns  at  the  Tsukiji  Orphanage  have  induced  me  to 
accept  as  a godson.  He  is  so  fat  and  round  that  he 
never  remembers  where  to  find  his  feet,  and  is  always 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


81 


rolling  over  the  mats  in  search  of  them.  His  mother, 
a widow,  cooks  the  rice  for  three  hundred  people  every 
day,  and  is  very  anxious  about  her  son’s  manners.  She 
says  he  is  three  years  old  ; but  Japanese  counting  is  not 
to  be  trusted  in  that  way,  since  a baby  born  on  the  last 
day  of  December  is  called  two  years  old  on  January  1st, 
because  he  has  existed  during  a part  of  two  succeeding 
years.  This  small  child  is  told  to  prostrate  himself, 
o'jigi,  when  I appear,  and  then  the  little  bullet  head 
goes  down  on  his  fat  hands  on  the  mat  with  great 
readiness ; but  it  is  a terrible  business  to  get  it  up 
again.  If  one  gives  him  something,  and  he  is  told  to 
say  thank  you,”  he  at  once  makes  the  sign  of  the 
cross;  it  is  the  only  prayer  he  knows  as  yet,  and  the 
expression  of  his  highest  feelings.  I was  very  much 
overcome,  when  he  was  baptised,  by  seeing  the  good 
missionary  father  pour  the  holy  water  over  his  head  out 
of  a nice  little  china  teapot,  kept  by  the  nuns  for  the 
purpose. 

The  work  these  dear  women  do  is  most  interesting, 
and  I sometimes  go  and  spend  hours  in  the  Convent, 
looking  at  the  girls’  sewing  or  sitting  in  the  quiet  chapel. 
They  are  called  here  the  Black  Nuns,  to  distinguish  them 
from  the  Sisters  of  Charity  with  their  white  cornettes, 
who  have  a school  at  the  other  end  of  the  town.  The 
establishment  is  divided  into  two  sections  : one  a resi- 
dent school  for  pupils,  who  pay  from  three  to  four  dol- 
lars a month  for  board  and  teaching ; while  the  other  — 
which  is,  of  course,  kept  quite  separate  — is  the  Orphan- 
age proper,  where  just  now  there  are  about  one  hundred 


VOL. 


G 


82 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  eighty  children  of  all  ages,  maintained  and  educated 
by  the  Sisters,  who  are  occasionally  in  very  low  water, 
and  much  put  to  it  to  find  money  for  the  daily  food 
of  such  a family.  The  Convent  stands  near  the  Catho- 
lic church  in  Tsukiji, 
which  is  the  foreign 
settlement  of  Tokyo, 
and  full  of  Euro- 
peans and  Americans. 
It  is  close  to  the  sea, 
and  is  cooler  in  these 
hot  days  than  our  own 
house  farther  inland. 
When  I drive  down 
there,  it  always  de- 
lights me  to  watch  the 
junks,  with  their  huge 
sails,  white  or  saffron, 
mov  ing  along  the  wide 
canal  on  the  incom- 
ing tide,  to  watch  the 
woodmen  piling  tim- 
ber in  the  yards  along 
the  banks,  to  see  the 
crowded  ferry  - boats 
carrying  the  people 
from  shore  to  shore.  ' In  the  courtyards  of  the  Convent 
it  is  a sea  breeze  that  comes  to  play  with  the  willow 
and  wistaria  trails,  and  that  sometimes  finds  its  way  to 
the  chapel,  which  is  always  full  of  sweet  flowers. 


PILING  TIMBER 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


83 


When  one  turns  in  from  the  road,  the  big  gate 
gives  admittance  to  a square  garden.  Opposite  is  the 
two-storied  wooden  building  which  contains  the  chapel 
and  the  Sisters’  apartments.  To  the  right  are  the 
boarders’  quarters  — large  class-rooms  downstairs,  and 
airy  dormitories  opening  on  a long  balcony  above.  To 
the  left  a single-storied  wing  holds  the  work  and  study 
rooms  of  the  orphans,  whose 
sleeping  apartments  open  into 
another  courtyard  behind. 

A few  European  girls  at- 
tend as  day  scholars  among 
the  boarders,  and  one  or  two 
who  are  the  daughters  of 
mixed  marriages,  extremely 
pretty,  graceful  girls.  The 
Sisters  always  beg  me  to  talk 
with  them  and  show  some 
interest  in  their  work ; so  I 
listen  to  recitations  and  ad- 
mire embroideries  and  draw- 
ings with  a good  conscience,  for  some  of  the  pupils  are 
really  clever.  Two  or  three  of  the  girls  are,  alas!  chil- 
dren who  have  been  abandoned  by  European  fathers  when 
they  found  it  convenient  to  leave  Japan  ; and  although 
no  one  pays  for  them,  the  Sisters  give  them  the  same 
education  as  the  boarders  receive,  and  keep  them  nicely 
dressed  in  European  costume  — a considerable  expense  here. 

But  it  is  the  other  side  of  the  house  which  draws 
me  most.  There  the  big  orphans  help  the  little  ones. 


THE  CHILD  OF  A MIXED  MARRIAGE 


84 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  the  sweet-faced  Japanese  lay  Sisters  teach  the  babies 
their  prayers,  and  • carry  about  the  tiniest  ones ; and  the 
whole  place  is  desperately  poor,  but  so  sweet  and  clean 
that  one  forgets  the  poverty  of  it. 

Don’t  go  there  ! ” my  conductress  cries,  as  I step 
heedlessly  on  the  boarded  gallery  which  runs  round 
the  inner  court ; it  is  so  rotten  that  it  will  only  carry 

les  toutes  And  I come  down  again,  having  put 

my  foot  through  a board,  which  gave  like  pie-crust. 
A great  crowd  of  the  children  follows  me  about,  for 
I want  to  go  everywhere ; and  the  lay  Sister  suddenly 
marshals  them  in  the  sunshine,  and  says  in  Japanese, 
Sing  for  the  lady  — one,  two,  three!” 

Les  voila  parties  1 ” exclaims  the  good  nun  at  my 
side,  as  all  the  little  voices  break  out  together,  with 
a clapping  of  hands  and  nodding  of  dark  heads,  in  a 
hymn  whose  strains  must  be  heard  by  the  junks  in 
the  canal  yonder. 

The  children  are  left  below  while  I inspect  the  poor 
dormitories,  sadly  in  want  of  new  mats  and  wadded 
quilts,  but  still,  so  onuch  better  than  nothing,  as  the 
cheery  Sister  remarks;  and  when  we  come  down  again, 
we  go  to  the  long  barnlike  room,  where  the  children 
are  having  their  evening  meal.  Ten  and  five  are  their 
hours  for  solid  feeding,  with  Japanese  tea  and  bread 
for  early  breakfast.  I found  them  seated  in  endless 
rows  of  benches  at  little  narrow  tables  in  a kind  of 
weight  for  age  ” arrangement.  Each  child  had  at  its 
place  a cup  of  water  and  a little  wooden  saucer  with 
a scrap  of  fish  and  some  pickles  and  sauce.  This  was 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


85 


intended  as  a relish  to  the  huge  bowl  of  rice,  which 
made  the  staple  of  the  meal.  The  rice  is  brought  in 
in  large  wooden  tubs,  and  served  out  by  the  elder  girls, 
two  of  whom  carry  a tub  between  them  up  and  down 
the  long  rows  of  benches,  filling  the  bowls  as  the  chil- 
dren hold  them  out.  The  rule  is  that  as  long  as  a 
bowl  is  held  out  it  must  be  filled ; and  when  the  tub 
stops  its  walk,  all  the  little  mouths  are  absolutely 
satisfied.  A whole  koku  (just  under  five  bushels)  of 
rice  is  cooked  daily,  and  rice  just  now  costs  ten  yen 
the  kokii.  When  no  more  bowls  are  held  out,  the 
order  is  given  to  stand  up  and  say  grace,  which  is 
done  very  heartily ; and  then  the  Sister  in  charge  says, 
looking  at  me,  Allons,  un  bon  Pater  pour  les  Bien- 
faiteurs  ! ” And  an  Our  Father”  goes  up  to  heaven 
with  such  intense  goodwill,  that  one  feels  it  was 
cheaply  purchased  by  a small  contribution  to  the  rice- 
tub  ! 

The  religious  question  seldom  creates  any  difficulty 
among  the  children,  though  occasionally  a paying  pupil 
will  take  offence  at  some  word  said,  and  stop  coming 
for  a few  days.  The  Sisters  are  very  uncompromising 
about  certain  things.  When  the  girls  first  come,  they 
and  their  parents  are  told  that  they  will  be  required 
to  attend  the  religious  services  in  the  chapel  and  to 
be  present  at  the  catechism  lessons.  Otherwise  the 
subject  of  religion  is  not  mentioned  to  them  by  the 
Sisters  until  tliey  come,  as  they  often  do,  to  ask  to  be 
baptised.  But  some  of  the  girls  themselves  are  eager 
little  apostles,  and  do  all  they  can  to  persuade  their 


86 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


pagan  companions  of  the  beauty  and  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity. Sometimes  the  parents  will  not  consent,  for 
the  old  prejudices  are  still  strong;  and  then  there  is 
long  waiting  and  much  prayer  before  O’Hana  or 
O’Yone  can  receive  the  Christian  equivalent  of  her 
name  and  wear  a white  veil  in  church,  a privilege 
reserved  only  for  Christians. 

As  for  the  orphans,  most  of  them  are  taken  in  as 
babies,  and  are  baptised  at  once.  Where  the  child  is 
older,  she  must  receive  instruction  and  really  desire 
baptism  before  it  can  be  administered ; but  there  is 
no  opposition  of  parents  to  retard  conversion,  and  there 
is  much  less  prejudice  against  Christianity  among  the 
extreme  poor  than  among  the  richer  classes.  Besides, 
the  child’s  young  heart  is  softened  and  warmed  with 
gratitude  for  material  benefits,  which  the  nuns  rightly 
teach  her  to  consider  as  much  less  precious  than  spir- 
itual ones  ; so  there  are  many  more  white  veils  on  the 
side  of  the  church  where  the  orphans  sit  than  on  the 
other,  which  is  occupied  by  their  richer  sisters. 

It  is  a very  pretty  sight  on  these  summer  mornings 
to  see  the  long  processions  of  children  coming  down  the 
road  from  the  Convent  gates  to  the  church.  All  the 
heads,  gentle  and  simple,  have  been  carefully  dressed 
for  the  Sunday  Mass,  the  girls  performing  the  kind 
office  one  for  another ; and  from  the  rich  pensionnaire 
of  seventeen,  with  her  beautiful  gold  or  tortoise-shell 
ornaments  crowning  her  elaborate  rolls,  down  to  the 
tiniest  orphan  toddler,  whose  hair  is  combed  in  a deep 
fringe  over  her  forehead  and  tied  in  a knob  at  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


87 


back,  every  head  shines  like  burnished  ebony  in  the 
sun.  The  best  robes  and  sashes  are  always  kept  for 
Sundays,  and  happy  is  the  child  who  can  display  a scar- 
let sash  or  inner 
collar  to  her  dress, 
red  being  here  the 
colour  of  youth 
and  joy.  In  church 
the  reverent  devo- 
tional bearing  is 
most  impressive, 
and  the  many 
white-veiled  heads 
bowed  in  prayer 
make  a lovely 
sight. 

But  not  only 
youth  comes  here, 
marshalled  by  the 
black-robed  Sisters, 
but  bowed  old 
people,  men  and 
women,  forlorn 
paupers,  whom 
their  charity  will 
not  turn  from  their 

A RICH  PENSIONNAIRE 

doors,  and  who 

have  invaded  the  two  or  three  matted  rooms  which 
were  meant  as  workshops  and  porter’s  lodge  just  inside 
the  gate.  The  old  women  are  the  cheeriest  creatures. 


88 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


the  deaf  helping  the  blind,  and  both  supporting  the 
cripples.  I entered  one  of  these  rooms  by  mistake 
one  day,  and  found  seven  or  eight  of  the  dear  old 
souls,  quite  past  work,  sitting  on  the  floor  making 
their  tea.  They  were  very  glad  .to  see  me,  and  said 
all  manner  of  pleasant  things,  finishing  up  with  what 
rather  distressed  me,  the  ceremonious  salutation,  knock- 
ing their  venerable  heads  on  the  mats  at  my  feet.  In 
the  men’s  room  were  one  or  two  sick  men,  patient  and 
very  ill,  with  only  one  dread,  that  they  might  be  sent 
away.  The  Sisters  have  many  scruples  about  keeping 
any  sick  people  so  near  the  children,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  propose  to  take  a little  house  outside,  to  be  used 
as  an  infirmary.  Meanwhile  the  poor  folk  must  stay 
here ; for,  in  spite  of  all  that  has  been  done  in  that 
way,  there  are  not  yet  nearly  enough  hospitals  in  Tokyo 
for  the  sick  among  its  one  million  of  inhabitants,  and 
the  very  poor  suffer  greatly  from  the  overcrowding  of 
their  tiny  rooms. 

The  sight  of  one  of  these  all-embracing  Convent  Homes, 
God’s  Casual  Wards,  always  puts  me  out  of  conceit  with 
the  leisure  and  the  luxury  of  modern  life.  The  great 
cool  rooms  and  the  wide  lawns  and  deep  shrubberies  of 
the  Legation  filled'  me  with  something  uncomfortably 
like  shame  after  my  visit  to  the  Convent  School  at 
Tsukiji. 


CHAPTER  V 


ON  THE  WAY  TO  ATAMI.  — FORGOTTEN  PASSPORTS.  — FROM 
THE  WINDOWS  OF  THE  HIGUCHI  HOTEL.  — THE  GEYSER 
AND  ITS  HABITS.  — LILIES  AND  SEA-FALCONS 


HE  constant  rain  of  the  early  summer  gave  me 


SO  much  rheumatism  that  at  last  Doctor  Baelz 
ordered  me  down  here  to  boil  it  away  in  a course  of 
hot  baths.  The  heat  in  Tokyo  has  been  rather  wearing ; 
and  although  we  had  decided  not  to  make  any  solemn 
villeggiatura  this  year,  I was  delighted  to  get  away 
and  to  see  something  of  the  country.  As  it  was  my 
first  journey  inland,  everything  was  pleasantly  fresh  and 
interesting.  As  far  as  Yokohama  there  was  nothing 
new  in  the  railway  journey,  except  the  wonderful  beauty 
of  the  lotuses,  which  are  in  full  flower  for  miles  in  the 
ditches  on  either  side  of  the  line.  They  do  not  reach 
the  enormous  size  of  the  leaves  and  blooms  in  our  old 
haunts  in  China ; but  it  may  be  because  these  are  wild, 
and  those  had  been  cultivated  for  centuries  in  the 
temple  tanks  and  the  ponds  of  the  Summer  Palace. 
Here  they  are  called  the  flowers  of  death,  and  are  only 
used  for  funerals.  Another  death-flower  is  blowing  too, 
in  every  bank  and  hillock  through  the  country-side, 


At  AMI,  August  1st,  1889. 


89 


90 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


a vivid  scarlet  lily, 
growing  in  a full 
round  cluster  on 
one  strong  wine- 
coloured  stem.  It 
is  quite  a splendid 
sight,  when  the 
wind  tosses  these 
thousands  of 
blood-red  tassels 
all  one  way,  in 
the  sun. 

The  train  put 
us  down  at  Kod- 
zu,  a little  town 
close  to  the  sea- 
shore ; and  while 
our  belongings 
were  being  piled 
into  a tramcar 
which  runs  a few 
miles  farther  on 
the  road,  we  had 
tea  in  a pretty 
inn  room,  whose 
windows  com- 
mand a beautiful 
wide  view  of  the 
bay.  Indeed  the  room  was  all  window,  as  these  Japa- 
nese rooms  generally  are  in  summer.  The  sight  of 


LOTUS  FLOWER  IN  THE  RAIN 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


91 


a long  white  beach  with  splendid  rollers  breaking  on 
its  edge  was  too  alluring  to  be  withstood,  for  there 
never  were  such  friends  as  I and  the  sea ; so  I found 
my  way  down  through  a tiny  garden  and  a bit  of 
road,  till  I stood  under  one  of  the  great  pine  trees  on 
the  shore.  There  was  a world  of  sea  and  sky,  a picture 
all  painted  in  three  colours  — deep  sapphire  blue  in  the 
rolling  main  and  the  arching  heavens,  white  to  blind 
you  in  the  sunlit  foam  and  dazzling  shore,  and  black 
green  in  the  huge  old  pines  that  stood  like  blind  prophets 
on  the  dune,  listening  to  the  booming  surge  that  said 
they  could  go  no  farther. 

I went  back  to  the  inn  in  a dream,  and  did  not  wake 
up  till  the  rattling  tram  set  us  down  in  Odawara,  a 
strange  sad  place  that  always  seems  to  be  mourning 
its  departed  grandeur.  It  was  the  stronghold  of  the 
Hojo  clan,  and  the  last  place  which  held  out  against 
the  efforts  of  Hideyoshi  to  subdue  the  refractory  chief- 
tains and  restore  order  in  the  country.  When  at  last 
it  fell,  he  gave  all  this  country  into  the  hands  of  lyeyasu, 
as  I think  I said  before,  advising  him  to  make  Yedo 
the  seat  of  his  government.  Odawara  shows  little  of 
its  old  greatness,  except  in  the  splendid  avenue  of  pines 
which  leads  to  it  from  Kodzu.  They  say  that  it  was 
fairly  flourishing  as  an  industrial  town  until  a fearful 
visitation  of  cholera  depopulated  it.  It  lies  low,  and  — 
smells  horribly. 

When  the  train  left  us  in  the  market-place  of 
Odawara,  our  good  Ogita  (friend,  servant,  interpreter, 
and  samurai)  had  to  charter  a little  army  of  jinrik- 


92 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


shas  to  carry  the  party  over  the  eighteen  miles  which 
still  lay  between  us  and  Atami.  An  inspector  of  police 
in  spotless  white  uniform  came  to  pay  his  respects  and 
give  his  assistance.  He  also  intimated  that,  although 
he  was  entirely  at  our  disposal,  and  took  the  honourable 


^4} 


'M 


OUR  PASSPORT 


€ 

(K 

t 

1 


K 


•L- 

h 


j > 


^1 


interpreter’s  word  for  it  that  this  was  the  British  Koshi 
Sama  and  his  family,  it  would  give  him  great  satisfac- 
tion to  see  our  passports.  H began  to  feel  in  his 

pockets  for  a document  over  which  we  had  laughed  a 
good  deal  in  the  shelter  of  the  Legation,  for  it  did  seem 
so  absurd  that  he  should  have  to  grant  himself  solemn 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


93 


permission  to  travel  about ; but,  alas ! the  despised 
paper  had  been  forgotten,  and  the  inspector  really  had 
to  take  our  word  for  it  that  it  existed  somewhere.  The 
good  Ogita,  who  is  of  imposing  presence  and  warlike 
deportment,  talked  the  official  quite  dumb,  and  then 
sent  violent  telegrams  off  to  Tokyo  about  the  missing 
document.  Meanwhile  the  servants  had  got  the  luggage 
started,  and  I was  comfortably  packed  into  my  Hong 
Kong  chair  and  trotted  off  by  a team  of  four  coolies, 
who  ran  splendidly,  but  would  not  keep  step.  I find 
jinrikshas  frightfully  tiring,  so  I carry  the  chair  and 
its  poles  about  with  me,  and  delight  in  being  elevated 
on  the  men’s  shoulders,  since  I thus  get  such  splendid 
views  over  the  country. 

The  road  from  Odawara  to  Atami  runs  for  a great 
part  of  the  way  by  the  sea,  and  reminds  me  in  many 
places  of  the  Cornice.  There  are  endless  orange  groves, 
still  carrying  late  blossoms  here  and  there,  and  pines 
in  their  wonderful  variety  of  shape,  the  most  interesting 
trees  in  the  world.  These  are  of  the  kind  which  the 
Japanese  call  hama-matsuy  coast  fir,  and  they  seem  to 
have  no  dread  of  salt  water  or  sea  breezes,  for  they 
grow  as  close  to  the  water  as  they  can,  and  in  some 
places  actually  dip  into  it. 

The  day  was  nearly  done  when  we  at  last  reached 
the  strange  little  village  by  the  sea.  It  lies  in  a bay 
of  its  own,  which  sweeps  inwards  to  the  land  in  a lovely 
curve.  The  beach  is  narrow,  for  the  houses  climb  down 
in  terraces  almost  to  the  water’s  edge,  and  every  street 
seems  to  lead  but  that  one  way.  A plain  of  green 


94 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


rice-fields  runs  back  from  the  town,  rising  gradually 
towards  a horseshoe  of  hills,  which  close  in  the  horizon 
on  every  side  save  one,  and  run  high  spurs  into  the 
sea  on  either  hand,  so  that  one  is  fairly  cut  ofi  from 
the  rest  of  creation.  But  from  the  beach  outwards  a 
great  stretch  of  water  rests  the  eye ; there  is  a splendid 
roar  of  breakers  on  the  shore;  and  far  away,  on  the 
sun-touched  edge  of  the  world,  a misty  island  floats 
in  the  haze,  and  sends  up  a constant  jet  of  thin  smoke 
from  its  volcanic  mouth. 

We  were  housed  in  a dependance  of  the  hotel,  a 
Japanese  house,  standing  by  itself  in  the  garden  away 
from  the  larger  building,  which  looked  uninvitingly 
European.  Our  rooms  had  soft  mats  and  international 
furniture,  of  which  the  Japanese  part  pleased  me  best. 
I was  especially  delighted  with  an  enormous  clothes- 
screen  in  black  lacquer,  with  wrought  gilt  clamps  at  all 
corners,  built  in  the  beautiful  torii  shape,  and  intended 
for  hanging  kimonos  on,  well  spread  out,  so  that  they 
should  get  no  creases.  The  walls  were  decorated  with 
specimens  of  curious  fern-stem  work,  very  dainty  and 
graceful,  and  having  the  deep  colour  of  a ripe  pine-cone. 
It  is  a speciality  of  this  queer  little  place.  My  front 
windows  looked  right  out  to  sea ; but  the  side  ones 
commanded  a sweeping  view  of  all  the  Japanese  part 
of  the  inn,  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  few  days  I 
had  watched  many  an  amusing  sight  in  the  wide-open 
rooms,  where  life  was  conducted  with  no  more  regard 
to  privacy  than  that  which  troubled  the  sparrows  who 
came  to  roost  in  noisy  thousands  in  an  enormous  oak 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


95 


which  grew  near  our  house.  Our  fellow-lodgers  seemed 
to  regret  that  our  life  was  not  as  open-airy  as  theirs, 
and  cast  many  curious  glances  at  me  when  I sate  at 
my  window,  which,  as  the  house  was  solid  on  that  side, 
was  a window,  and  not  a paper  screen  pushing  back 
from  a balcony. 

I was  so  tired  with  the  long  journey  that  I was 
glad  to  go  to  bed  early  on  that  first  evening,  and  fell 
asleep  to  the  long  roll  of  the  breakers  booming  solemnly 
on  the  shore.  Never  was  I in  a place  w^here  the  sea 
sang  its  old  songs  so  loud.  All  through  the  night  my 
dreams  were  set  to  its  solemn  measures,  and  they  filled 
the  first  moments  of  my  waking  consciousness  in  the 
morning,  when  O’Matsu  crept  into  my  room  and  set 
the  windows  open  to  the  blessed  freshness  of  the  seaside 
dawn.  She  amused  me  by  recounting  how  the  wife  of 
our  predecessor  came  down  here  with  children  and  ser- 
vants, intending  to  stay  three  weeks,  but  fied  back  to 
Tokyo  the  morning  after  her  arrival,  saying  that  she 
should  go  mad  if  she  had  to  listen  to  that  booming  sea 
for  another  day.  To  me  the  sea  is  such  an  old  friend 
that  I do  not  care  what  it  says  or  how  loud  it  says  it, 
so  long  as  it  will  talk  at  all. 

The  sparrows  left  their  quarters  in  the  evergreen  oak 
with  the  first  flush  of  dawn,  and  my  neighbours  across 
the  garden  were  not  much  behind  them  in  beginning 
the  business  of  the  day.  I could  hardly  attend  to  my 
own  affairs  at  all  for  the  intense  interest  with  which  I 
watched  them.  I could  see  into  eight  or  nine  rooms, 
each  of  which  seemed  to  show  a typical  side  of  Japanese 


96 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


existence.  The  weather  was  so  warm  that  all  the  paper 
slides  had  been  removed,  and  people  were  carrying  on 
life  quite  as  much  in  the  narrow  verandah  balconies  as 
in  the  rooms  themselves.  In  one  of  these,  however,  a 
student  was  trying  to  escape  distractions,  and  kept  his 
eyes  resolutely  fixed  on  his  work.  He  was  a young 
man,  with  close-cropped  head  and  a broad  heavy  face, 
redeemed  by  keen  dark  eyes  and  a very  earnest  ex- 
pression. He  sat  on  a thin  cushion  before  a small 
table,  which  stood,  perhaps,  a foot  from  the  floor  — 
surely  the  most  uncomfortable  form  of  writing-desk 
ever  invented.  A bamboo  cup  held  his  writing-brushes, 
and  a tiny  bronze  teapot  and  stone  slab  seemed  to 
account  for  the  Indian  ink.  Piles  of  pink  newspapers 
were  on  the  ground  at  his  side,  and  two  or  three  open 
books  fluttered  in  the  breeze,  and  turned  over  their 
mystic  characters  too  fast  for  him  apparently,  for  he 
frowned,  and  turned  them  back  with  evident  irritation. 
He  was  dressed  in  a single  blue  robe,  the  cotton  yucata, 
which  certainly  cannot  count  as  heavy  clothing ; but 
the  heat  was  intense,  and  the  student  had  turned  his 
sleeves  up  to  the  shoulder  and  bared  his  chest  in  the 
desire  for  coolness.  To  him,  towards  midday,  entered 
one  of  the  hotel  servants,  a dear  little  maid  in  striped 
kimono  and  red  sash,  bringing  some  light  food,  which 
she  pushed  towards  him  on  a tray  as  she  knelt  a few 
feet  from  him  on  the  mats.  She  was  pretty  and  smil- 
ing, poor  little  thing,  and  only  meant  to  be  kind  j but 
he  frowned  at  her  and  motioned  her  away,  as  if  he 
could  not  bear  to  be  interrupted  in  his  work.  After 


A STUDENT 


VOL.  I 


H 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


99 


she  had  withdrawn,  silent  and  chagrined,  the  student 
suddenly  discovered  that  he  had  an  appetite,  and  did 
full  justice  to  the  musumes  provisions.  The  cold  rice 
and  pickles  did  not  look  very  tempting  to  me,  though 
the  bowls  and  cups  were  charming,  red  lacquer  and 
white  china  shining  in  the  sun. 

The  apartment  above  that  of  the  ambitious  student 
was  occupied  by  a father  and  two  daughters,  people  of 
the  merchant  class  I should  think,  come  here  to  bathe  in 
the  hot  spring  or  inhale  the  fumes  of  the  great  geyser, 
of  which  I must  tell  you  more  anon.  The  father  looks 
consumptive,  and  his  daughters  wait  upon  him  devoutly. 
They  are  blooming  lasses,  and  take  tremendous  interest 
in  their  head-dresses.  The  whole  of  my  first  morning 
in  Atami  they  spent  under  the  hands  of  the  hair-dresser, 
an  elderly  woman,  who,  unlike  her  kind,  did  her  work 
in  silence.  It  took  just  four  hours  for  the  two.  First 
one  girl  sat  on  the  cushion  in  the  verandah,  and  last 
week’s  coiffure  was  taken  down  (O’Matsu  says  that 
once  in  four  or  five  days  is  considered  often  enough  to 
repeat  the  ceremony),  and  the  long  black  hair  was 
washed  with  something  very  like  egg,  and  spread  out 
in  the  sun  to  dry.  Tea  and  conversation  beguiled  this 
interval,  and  then  the  great  business  of  the  dressing 
began.  Oh,  the  twisting  and  tying,  the  moulding  and 
oiling  of  those  black  rolls ! Shaped  wires  were  inserted 
to  hold  out  the  hair  in  two  long  wings  over  the  back  of 
the  neck,  a twist  of  scarlet  crape  was  knotted  in  at  the 
summit,  and  one  or  two  brilliant  flower-pins,  or  kanza- 
sliis,  planted  precisely  in  the  right  spot  j and  the  hand- 


100 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


glass  was  presented  to  the  young  lady  so  that  she  might 
gravely  examine  the  effect.  As  the  girl  looked  down 
into  the  mirror,  moving  it  this  way  and  that,  in  the 
sunshine,  I saw  that  its  reflection  was  cast  up  on  the 
white  ceiling  in  an  oval  of  light,  with  a Chinese  character 
which  means  happiness  standing  out  clearly  in  the  centre. 

When  the  turn  of  the  second  sister  came,  the  whole 
ceremony  was  minutely  repeated  ; and  then  what  looked 
like  a very  small  sum  in  coppers  changed  hands,  the 
kami  san  bowed  herself  out,  and  the  two  girls  ran  off  to 
gossip  with  O’Detsu,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Higuchi,  our 
landlord. 

Meanwhile  a middle-aged  man  on  the  upper  floor 
was  suffering  terribly  from  the  heat,  and  his  little  wife 
seemed  greatly  distressed  about  him.  All  the  screens 
had  been  opened ; but  it  was  a breathless  day,  and  no 
breeze  came  to  ring  the  little  glass  bells  on  the  hanging 
fern-wreath  in  the  verandah.  The  man  had  laid  aside 
almost  all  his  garments,  and  sat  with  his  head  in  his 
hands  groaning ; while  madame,  kneeling  on  the  mats 
behind  him,  fanned  his  back,  and  from  time  to  time 
rubbed  him  down  with  a blue  towel,  an  expression  of 
the  deepest  respect  and  sympathy  on  her  face.  When 
he  seemed  a little  better,  she  busied  herself  with  prepar- 
ing tea,  which  he  drank  eagerly,  and  of  course  made 
himself  frightfully  hot  again,  when  she  went  back 
patiently  to  her  fanning  and  rubbing. 

By  this  time  the  ambitious  student  in  the  first  room 
had  given  himself  a fearful  headache  by  poring  over 
those  maddening  Chinese  characters  in  the  heat  of  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


103 


August  day,  and  so  an  amma  or  masseur  was  called  in 
to  rub  it  away.  The  masseur,  man  or  woman,  is  always 
blind,  the  old  law  having  forbidden  any  person  not  thus 
afflicted  to  practise  the  trade  so  eminently  suited  for 
people  whose  eyes  must  be  in  their  fingers.  The  man 
who  came  to  the  distressed  student  was  young,  with 
a serene  countenance  deeply  marked  with  small-pox, 
the  most  usual  cause  of  blindness  here.  He  was  led  in 
with  extreme  politeness  by  the  little  maid  of  the  red 
sash  ; the  patient  bowed  to  him  quite  as  ceremoniously 
as  if  he  had  been  a duke  — with  two  eyes;  and  then  the 
student  sat  down  on  his  heels,  the  amma  stood  over 
him,  and  literally  punched  his  head  with  violence  and 
precision  for  something  like  a quarter  of  an  hour.  How 
the  student  bore  it  I do  not  know.  It  looked  as  if  the 
process  must  hurt  him  more  than  the  worst  headache 
ever  evolved  from  over-work.  But  when  it  was  over, 
he  jumped  up  with  a beaming  face,  evidently  convinced 
that  he  felt  perfectly  well ; the  amma  received  his  fee 
wrapped  up  in  a corner  of  paper,  and  tucked  it  inside  his 
girdle  ; the  little  maid,  who  had  been  watching  the  pro- 
cess, gravely  came  and  led  him  away  ; and  the  indomi- 
table student  went  back  to  his  books. 

A little  later  in  the  day,  when  it  could  be  supposed 
that  we  had  recovered  from  the  fatigue  of  the  journey, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higuchi  came  to  welcome  us  solemnly  to 
Atami.  They  were  accompanied  by  O’Detsu,  their 
daughter,  who  told  me  that  she  had  been  educated  in 
an  American  school  in  Yokohama,  and  could  speak 
some  English,  which  came  in  very  usefully  in  translating 


104 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAK 


for  her  parents.  All  the  party  were  beautifully  dressed, 
and  expressed  their  delighted  readiness  to  place  them- 
selves, their  hotel,  and  all  their  belongings  at  our 
disposal,  and  apologised  profusely  for  a thousand  short- 
comings which  did  not  exist.  O’Detsu  seemed  very 
happy  when  I told  her  that  I like  American  cookery, 
and  afterwards  strained  her  invention  to  the  utmost  to 
feed  us  properly  during  the  three  weeks  of  our  stay. 
The  menus,  it  is  true,  were  sometimes  puzzlingly 
worded,  and  such  items  as  the  following  are  hardly 
reassuring  : 

ClUTOts  Soup. 

Eish  finelierbs.  (Seaweed  ?) 

Beef  Tea  Pudding. 

Dournat.  (Doughnut  ?) 

Boiled  Sponge. 

Praised  oeufs  devil  Sauce. 

Eclairs  ala  Oujam. 

Eish  Squeak. 

Dam  Pudding  ! ” 

You  see  I have  written  this  last  small  on  account  of  the 
bad  language. 

But  you  will  not  thank  me  for  detailing  all  these 
minor  experiences,  and  I must  tell  you  something  of  the 
great  wonder  of  Atami,  the  admirable  geyser,  which 
has  made  the  prosperity  of  the  place.  Do  not  laugh  at 
the  adjective,  which  is  really  the  right  one.  This  spring 
bursts  up  in  the  middle  of  the  village,  only  a few  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  shore,  with  an  outbreak  of  boiling 
water,  and  such  a thunderous  roar  of  steam  that  it  can 
be  heard  far  away,  while  its  thick,  white  smoke-cloud 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


105 


hangs  over  the  place  long  after  the  spring  has  sunk  back 
to  the  heart  of  the  earth.  I have  been  standing  close 
to  it,  and  felt  the  earth  quiver  under  my  fe'et  even 
before  the  voice  of  its  coming  had  reached  the  surface. 
Its  mouth  is  arched  over  for  a little  way,  in  order  to 


THE  GEYSER,  ATAMI 


direct  the  outburst  toward  the  canals  which  lead  off  to 
the  different  bathing  establishments,  and  to  the  tank 
Avhere  it  is  collected  to  form  an  inhaling-room  for  those 
who  are  suffering  from  chest  and  throat  troubles. 
Before  this  roof  was  laid  over  it,  I believe  it  rose  two 
or  three  yards  in  the  air,  and  of  course  much  was 
wasted.  As  it  is,  the  scalding  flood  which  rushes  out 
from  the  low  tunnel  is  a terrific  phenomenon,  filling 


106 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


the  world  for  the  moment  with  fearful  noises  and  chok- 
ing sulphurous  steam.  It  comes  with  perfect  regularity 
every  four  hours,  continues  for  a few  minutes  (not  for 
an  hour  and  a half,  as  Rein  erroneously  supposed),  and 
in  that  time  pours  out  a volume  of  water  sufficient  for 
all  the  needs  of  the  bathers,  and  so  hot  that  it  was 
never  possible  for  me  to  plunge  into  it  at  any  time 
without  letting  it  cool  in  the  bath,  although  it  might 
have  been  standing  for  hours  in  the  bathhouse  reservoir 
since  the  last  outbreak. 

The  people  of  Atami  count  upon  their  geyser  with 
the  easy  certainty  of  familiarity ; but  it  has  its  caprices, 
though  they  are  few  and  far  between.  Terrible  is  the 
consternation  when  the  geyser  strikes  work,  and  stays 
away  for  ten  or  twelve  days  together.  There  are  no 
hot  baths,  visitors  leave  in  disgust,  and  the  inhabitants 
are  left  to  await  its  stormy  homecoming  in  deep  anxiety. 
When  at  last  the  spring  returns,  it  bursts  out  with  a 
frightful  roar  and  clouds  of  sulphurous  smoke,  which 
hang  over  the  place  for  a whole  day,  while  the  geyser 
does  its  many  hours  of  neglected  work  in  one  long 
spell,  keeps  all  its  forgotten  appointments  in  a visit 
which  lasts  several  hours  without  intermission,  and 
threatens  to  drown  the  place  in  0 yu,  the  honourable 
hot  water. 

During  my  first  days  in  Atami,  the  geyser  attracted 
my  attention  with  a start  every  time  it  broke  out ; then 
it  came  only  to  mark  the  time ; then  I ceased  to  notice 
it  altogether,  as  I had  ceased  to  notice  the  booming  of 
the  surf,  unless  some  excursion  took  us  far  inland  out 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


107 


of  reach  of  its  voice,  and  then  there  seemed  to  come  a 
deadness  on  the  air,  an  emptiness  which  the  bird-songs 
or  the  wind-songs  could  not  fill. 

Atami  is  a seaside  nest  lying  in  the  arms  of  two 
green  hills,  that  slope  down  on  either  side  of  it  (fragrant 
with  lilies  just  now)  to  the  gentle  sea,  that  breaks  in 
one  long  roll  day  and  night  on  the  smooth  sands.  Just 
where  the  hills  meet  the  sea  on  either  side  is  an  attempt 
at  a rock  and  a precipice;  but  even  these  are  all  gay 


ON  THE  ATA3II  SANDS 


with  ferns,  and  lilies  orange  and  white,  so  there  is  no 
effect  of  ruggedness.  The  lilies  are  a revelation,  hot- 
house flowers  showered  down  on  the  land  by  an  in- 
dulgent Providence  as  a reward  for  its  humble,  faithful 
love  of  nature.  The  great  white  lily,  with  leaves  like 
carved  marble  gemmed  with  crimson  blood-drops  — a 
thing  as  royal  and  remote  as  a maiden  empress  — here 
it  raises  its  lovely  head  on  every  hillock,  reaches 
gracious  greetings  out  to  me  from  all  the  hedges,  and 
sends  waves  of  perfume  out  to  bless  the  workaday  air. 
Down  nearer  to  the  sea  it  is  a scarlet  lily  which  spreads 


108 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


its  bell  to  the  sun  and  the  salt  Avind.  The  other  day 
we  took  a fishing-boat,  and  made  the  lean  broAvn  men 
row  us  in  and  out  of  the  rocks  and  caves  and  little  bays 
within  the  bay.  It  Avas  a perfect  summer  afternoon, 
with  the  fulness  of  the  August  sunshine  lying  on  the 
water;  and  as  Ave  floated  in  and  out  among  the  rocks, 
which  rise,  abrupt  and  inaccessible,  from  the  sea,  it  Avas 
beautiful  to  find  every  one  glorified  by  these  scarlet 
lilies,  each  on  a single  stem,  AA^aving  happy  and  un- 
daunted in  the  breeze.  Close  to  the  rocks  the  Avater 
lapped  and  tossed  in  sudden  foam ; one  heavy  Avave 
Avent  racing  through  a long  arched  Avaterway  of  the 
caves;  and  out  fleAV  tAvo  loA^ely  sea-falcons,  with  broAvn 
Avings  strained  Avide,  startled  by  the  sea’s  caprice.  The 
men  sang  at  their  oars  weird  cold  songs,  like  reminders 
of  death  in  the  golden  gloAV  of  life,  and  one  laughed, 
Avhile  the  others  shook  their  heads  at  the  sight  of  the 
birds  as  if  at  some  eAul  omen. 

This  is  a long  letter  already,  I fear,  so  you  must 
have  the  rest  about  Atami  next  time. 


CHAPTER  VI 


ATAMI’S  TEMPLE  AND  ITS  GEOVE.  — THE  GEEAT  CAMPHOE 
TEEE.  — THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  BOILING  SEEING.  — A 
NIGHT  FESTIVAL,  A DANCEE,  AND  A EAID 


HE  rooms  are  so  full  of  flowers  that  I can  hardly 


move.  I come  in  from  our  expeditions  with  both 
hands  full,  and  one  of  our  servants  (rather  an  idle  boy) 
spends  three  or  four  hours  every  day  out  on  the  liillsides, 
and  brings  me  little  forests  of  hydrangea,  white  and  blue 
and  lilac,  with  beautiful  bright  foliage,  and  lilies  in  hun- 
dreds, bursting  from  their  stem  like  white  fireworks,  the 
blossoms  nearly  a foot  in  diameter,  and  growing  high 
above  my  head.  The  blue  hydrangea  throws  long 
branches  of  bloom  down  the  clefts  of  the  rocks,  where 
they  look  like  waterfalls  reflecting  the  sky.  The  white 
one  reaches  farther,  but  separates  the  clusters  more ; 
and  they  lie  like  forgotten  snowballs  dropped  in  the  little 
angels’  play,  for  to-day  is  the  Feast  of  our  Lady  of  the 
Snows,  Sancta  Maria  ad  Nives,  and  I am  reminded  of  the 
old  picture  in  Siena  where  all  the  court  of  heaven  are 
standing  round  her  throne  with  snowballs  in  their  hands. 
How  glad  we  should  be  to  see  a little  cool  whiteness 
here ! The  heat  is  overpowering,  and  I have  been  seek- 
ing refreshment  in  the  green  wood  of  the  old  temple 


Atami,  August  5th. 


109 


110 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAET 


behind  the  town.  It  stands  between  the  hills  and  the 
plain,  with  the  most  lovely  grove  of  trees  around  it  that 
I have  ever  seen.  They  have  long-pointed  shining 
leaves  of  the  most  brilliant  green,  and  I think  are  entered 
on  the  civic  lists  of  the  forests  as  Quercus  acuta;  but 
who  cares  about  the  name?  You  may  be  sure  it  is  not 
the  one  they  call  themselves  by  in  those  long  whispered 
conversations  that  they  carry  on  among  the  green  arches 
far  overhead.  Their  venerable  feet  are  sunk  in  a carpet 
of  moss,  and  ferns,  and  translucent  creepers  with  leaves 
like  green  stars  'and  tendrils  soft  as  a baby’s  fingers. 
That  brooding  peace  that  I spoke  of  the  other  day  is  in 
all  the  ^vood,  and  seems  to  have  promised  that  the  ruined 
temple  shall  not  fall,  but  crumble  dreamily  in  the  sun- 
shine, unconscious  of  its  own  decay.  Quite  near  it 
stands  a colossal  camphor  tree  {Cinnamomum  camjoliora), 
so  old  that  it  has  fallen  apart  with  its  own  weight,  and 
is  like  two  trees  in  one,  the  two  divisions  measuring 
altogether  over  sixty  feet  round.  In  the  odorous  brown 
shadow  inside  is  set  a little  shrine  ; but  above,  all  is  life 
and  vigour.  Every  branch  is  smothered  in  fresh  green 
foliage,  the  small  pointed  leaves  shining  like  newly  cut 
jade,  and  giving  out  a fine  aroma  on  the  warm  air.  It 
is  supposed  to  be  the  largest  in  Japan ; and  I think 
Sidney  Lanier  away  in  Baltimore  must  have  seen  its 
waving  palace  of  verdure  in  his  dreams  when  he  wrote  — 

Ye  lispers,  whisperers,  singers  in  storms, 

Ye  consciences  munnuring  faiths  under  forms. 

Ye  ministers  meet  for  each  passion  that  grieves, 

Eriendly,  sisterly,  sweetheart  leaves, 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


111 


Oh,  rain  me  clown  from  your  darks  that  contain  me 
Wisdoms  ye  winnow  from  winds  that  pain  me,  — 

Sift  down  tremors  of  sweet-within-sweet 
That  advise  me  of  more  than  they  bring,  — repeat 
Me  the  woods-smell  that  swiftly  but  now  brought  breath 
From  the  heaven-side  bank  of  the  river  of  death, — 

Teach  me  the  terms  of  silence,  — preach  me 
The  passion  of  patience,  — sift  me,  — impeach  me,  — 
And  there,  oh  ! there. 

As  ye  hang  with  your  myriad  palms  in  the  air, 

Pray  me  a myriad  prayer.^^ 

As  I sat  under  the  trees  in  the  grove,  Ogita  told 
me  the  story  of  Atanii  and  the  temple  and  the  boiling 
spring.  I cannot  write  down  for  you  the  song  of  the 
wind  in  the  leaves,  or  the  long  low  roll  of  the  sea  on  the 
distant  beaches ; I cannot  paint  the  sunshine  flecking 
now  one  spot  and  now  another  in  the  green  carpet  at 
my  feet,  or  the  grey  and  gold  decay  of  the  old  shrine. 
Truly  the  eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing  nor  the  ear 
with  hearing,  when  the  story  has  to  be  written  and  sent 
away  with  all  its  magic  left  behind.  But  such  as  it  may 
be,  here  it  is : 

Long,  long  ago,  in  the  times  of  the  elders  and  the 
wise  men,  there  lived  in  Atami  a very  holy  man,  a priest. 
He  was  poor,  as  was  all  the  population ; for  they  lived 
only  on  what  their  fishing  could  bring,  and  when  the 
winter  storms  swept  over  the  sea,  or  the  earthquakes 
frightened  all  the  fish  out  into  the  ocean,  then  life  was 
hard  in  the  little  town,  and  the  grown-up  people  looked 
very  thin.  The  children  were  never  thin,  because  their 
fathers  and  mothers  gave  them  almost  all  there  was  to 
eat.  The  priest  lived  in  a small  temple  on  the  hill 


112 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


behind  the  town ; and  in  the  temple  garden  was  a cam- 
phor tree,  very  strong  and  beautiful,  with  leaves  like 
green  jade.  The  priest  used  to  sit  under  the  tree  and 
pray  for  the  people  when  the  fish  would  not  come  to  the 
nets,  and  his  heart  was  sore  for  them. 

One  day,  as  he  sat  under  the  tree,  praying  hard  that 
the  fish  would  return  to  be  caught,  the  trunk  beside  him 
opened,  and  a beautiful  goddess  in  a purple  robe  came 
out  and  touched  him  on  the  shoulder,  and  her  eyes 
gleamed  angrily  at  the  old  man.  Thou  foolish  one  ! ” 
she  said,  in  a terrible  voice ; why  dost  thou  sit  and 
pray  here,  far  from  the  sea  and  the  fish  that  are  in  it  ? 
The  fish  are  on  the  shore  even  now ; go  down  and  behold 
them!”  And  then  she  disappeared;  and  the  priest, 
trembling  mightily,  tottered  down  to  the  shore  as  she 
had  bid  him,  and  beheld  a sight  which  filled  him  with 
sorrow  and  anger. 

The  fish  were  on  the  shore  as  the  lady  had  said, 
and  they  were  being  thrown  up  in  banks  all  along  the 
beaches,  big  fish  and  little  ones,  and  strange  creatures 
that  had  never  been  caught  in  any  net.  Yes,  they  were 
all  there ; but  every  fish  was  scalded  as  with  boiling 
water,  and  was  already  crumbling  to  pieces,  and  a smell 
as  of  the  Greater  Hell  ^ was  upon  every  one.  And  the 
stench  was  so  terrible  that  the  priest  had  to  cover  his 
nose  with  his  sleeve,  while  copious  tears  ran  from  his 
eyes,  and  his  heart  was  bursting  with  grief  at  the  sad 
plight  of  the  poor  fish  and  the  loss  to  his  townsfolk. 

Then  he  climbed  step  by  step  to  the  hut  on  the 

1 Ojigoku,  near  Miyanoshita. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


113 


promontory,  where  the  watchman  sits  to  look  out  for 
the  good  fish  coming  to  shore.  But  the  watchman  was 
weary,  and  had  fallen  asleep ; and  the  priest  stood  and 
looked  out  to  sea  by  his  side, 
for  he  thought,  I shall 
surely  see  what  demon  is 
killing  the  poor  fish.”  And 
his  eyes  were  opened,  because 
of  his  great  love  for  the 
people  ; and  he  saw  far  away, 
many  fathoms  below  the  sur- 
face, a huge  boiling  spring, 
which  the  demons  had  let 
loose,  bursting  up  through 
the  bed  of  the  sea,  and  it 
was  scalding  all  the  fish  to 
death.  So  then  he  roughly 
woke  the  watchman,  and 
cried,  Thou  that  art  young, 
run  to  the  temple,  and  bring 
me  a bough  of  my  camphor 
tree  to  the  shore  — and 
stop  for  none  ! ” And  the 
watchman  ran  and  broke  off 

KWAN-ON 

a branch  of  the  holy  tree, 

which  is  more  powerful  than  all  the  demons ; and  the 
priest  went  down  to  the  beach,  and  began  to  pray  in  a 
loud  voice  that  Kwan-on,  the  goddess  of  mercy,  would 
have  pity  on  the  fish  and  the  people.  And  when  the 
watchman  brought  the  branch,  the  old  priest  cast  it  on 


VOL.  I 


114 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


the  water  with  a great  cry,  commanding  the  spring  to 
cease  poisoning  the  ocean.  And  so  earnestly  did  he  pray 
that  he  did  not  hear  a great  rumbling  on  the  land 
behind  him.  But  all  the  people  ran  in  a crowd  to  the 
spot  whence  it  seemed  to  come ; and  soon  they  saw  the 
earth’s  crust  rising  in  a cone,  and  they  fled  in  terror  to 
the  hill  behind  the  town.  And  then  the  cone  burst,  and 
the  boiling  water  shot  up  into  the  air ; and  the  people 
came  and  dug  round  it,  and  made  canals  to  take  it  to 
their  houses,  and  it  became  a great  source  of  riches  for 
Atami,  because  the  sick  came  from  far  to  bathe  in  it. 
And  the  old  priest  was  glad  for  the  fish,  and  for  his 
people ; and  they  built  a fine  temple  on  this  spot  for  him, 
and  were  very  punctual  in  their  offerings  because  he  had 
saved  the  town.  And  now,  as  we  see,  his  temple  is  very 
old,  and  the  camphor  tree  is  as  big  as  a cottage ; and  I 
have  stood  inside  it  many  a time,  but  never  did  the 
beautiful  goddess  come  out  to  show  herself  to  me. 

Have  you  had  too  much  of  Atami  ? I must  tell 
you  of  one  more  scene  which  made  a great  impression 
on  my  mind.  I noticed  yesterday  that  the  village 
seemed  more  animated  than  usual,  and  the  people 
were  hanging  red  and  white  lanterns  on  long  strings 
from  high  poles  down  to  the  ground,  and  the  houses 
in  the  chief  street  were  all  outlined  with  them,  blow- 
ing about  violently  in  a tearing  breeze  from  the  bay. 
Strange-looking  groups  formed  at  the  street  corners, 
and  immense  excitement  prevailed  in  and  around  a 
kind  of  barn,  whose  doors,  thrown  wide,  showed  a high 
car  being  decorated  with  wreaths  and  lanterns.  An 


CLOTH  SHOP 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


117 


enormous  drum  stood  in  one  corner,  and  was  being 
doctored  by  a specialist,  who  kept  banging  the  end 
with  a bit  of  bamboo  to  see  if  it  sounded  loud  enough. 
Little  boys  were  jumping  about,  screaming  and  playing, 
and  getting  in  their  elders’  way  with  the  complete 
security  of  children  who  are  never  scolded. 

Booths  had  been  set  up  in  the  street,  and  all  the 
shops  were  displaying  their  most  tempting  wares.  At 
lunch,  Ogita  brought  a message  from  our  landlord  to 
say  that  he  was  afraid  his  rough  and  ignorant  coun- 
trymen ” would  make  a great  deal  of  noise  in  the  even- 
ing; but  he  had  informed  the  police  that  they  must 
on  no  account  let  it  go  on  too  late,  for  fear  of  spoil- 
ing our  honourable  rest.  This  civility  quite  overcame 
me ; but  to  tell  the  truth,  Atami  was  almost  too  quiet 
for  me,  and  I thought,  what  I was  ashamed  to  say, 
that  a little  excitement  would  make  a pleasant  change. 

As  we  must  soon  go  back  to  Tokyo,  I spent  the 
afternoon  in  collecting  some  of  the  curiosities  of  the 
place  — lovely  camphor-wood  boxes  and  fern  work;  and 
of  course  was  followed  to  the  counter  of  every  shop  by 
a crowd  of  the  natives,  very  anxious  to  find  out  what 
my  clothes  were  made  of,  for  those  nearest  to  me  kept 
feeling  my  dress,  and  asked  Ogita  so  many  questions 
that  he  got  quite  angry.  But  it  was  only  good-natured 
curiosity,  and  I did  not  mind  it  at  all.  The  one  draw- 
back to  so  much  cheerful  society  is  that,  as  all  the 
shopping  is  done  from  the  outside,  with  the  wares 
spread  on  a low  board  or  counter  sloping  out  from  the 
seller  in  the  house  to  the  buyer  in  the  street,  the 


118 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


assistants  get  between  the  purchaser  and  his  object, 
and  have  to  be  removed  by  force  before  he  can  see 
Avhat  he  will  have. 

As  I have  said,  the  little  town  was  crowded  with 
holiday-makers  in  bright  dresses.  Among  others  I 
noticed  an  Englishman,  a tall,  smart-looking  man,  sit- 
ting in  the  native  cotton  dress  on  the  step  of  the 
tea-honse,  laughing  and  chattering  in  fluent  Japanese 
with  a swarm  of  Atami  girls,  who  all  seemed  very 
glad  to  see  him.  He  looked  at  us,  as  we  passed,  with 
an  amused  smile,  and  his  face  seemed  a familiar  one, 
though  I could  not  put  a name  to  him.  His  dress  was 
poor  and  common  in  the  extreme.  He  was  probably 
one  of  the  harmless  maniacs  who  travel  everywhere 
Avithout  passports,  and  try  to  see  the  country  from  the 
Japanese  side  of  life.  He  must  have  seen  a good  deal 
of  it,  to  judge  by  the  ease  with  Avhich  he  was  speaking 
the  language;  and  he  looked  like  such  a pleasing  maniac 
that  I longed  to  talk  to  him.  Of  course  I did  not  — 
does  one  really  ever  do  the  pleasant  thing  ? But,  who- 
ever you  are,  my  brother,  your  clear  broAvn  eyes  and 
strong  happy  face  will  always  make  a part  of  my  recol- 
lections of  Atami. 

When  night  fell,  and  a splendid  moon  was  riding 
in  the  sky,  we  Avent  out  to  haA^e  a look  at  the  Matsuri^ 
or  festival  procession.  The  street  leading  doAvn  to  the 
sea  Avas  closely  packed  with  people,  and  the  air  Avas 
full  of  the  sound  of  drums  and  the  songs  of  girls,  Avho, 
sitting  high  in  the  great  cars,  played  on  brass  cymbals 
and  triangles  as  the  men  pulled  them  up  the  street. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


119 


All  the  lanterns  were  lighted  and  swung  in  the  breeze; 
their  rays  fell  on  the  dark  face^  and  bare  brown  limbs 
of  the  men,  who,  naked,  and  wild  with  sake,  strained 
fiercely  at  the  ropes,  while  the  huge  erection,  its  three 
tiers  decked  with  flowers  and  packed  with  laughing 
girls  in  brilliant  robes,  went  tottering  and  swaying  up 
the  sandy  street.  The  moon  and  the  lanterns  showed 


DANCING 

that  the  wheels  were  wet ; and  the  men  shook  the  sea 
water  from  their  limbs  as  they  pulled,  for  they  had 
taken  the  sacred  cars  out  into  the  sea,  to  bless  the 
fishes,  as  Ogita  explained  to  me,  and  were  now  return- 
ing towards  the  geyser,  perhaps  meaning  to  bless  that 
too. 

As  they  moved  very  slowly  in  the  deep  ruts  half 
choked  Avith  sand,  we  went  on  to  wait  for  them  at  the 


120 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


other  end  of  the  street.  We  found  no  difficulty  in 
getting  through  the  crowd,  which  everywhere  gave 
way  kindly  and  cheerily  to  the  two  smart  policemen 
who  had  us  in  charge;  and  soon  we  found  ourselves 
standing  on  the  step  of  a shop,  whose  owner  had  begged 
us  to  come  in  and  watch  a pretty  sight  which  was  going 
forward  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 

On  a scaffolding  some  ten  feet  high  and  heavdly 
draped  in  black  and  white,  a little  dancing-girl  was 
holding  the  enraptured  attention  of  the  crowd.  She 
was  so  small  and  slight,  and  so  brilliantly  dressed,  that 
as  she  turned  and  wheeled  and  set  her  great  flowered 
sleeves  flying  on  the  wind,  she  put  me  in  mind  of 
some  dainty  humming-bird  with  fairy  crest  and  gem- 
like plumage.  Her  little  head  was  sparkling  with 
ornaments,  which  threw  out  gold  and  silver  fringes 
as  she  turned ; and  her  dark  eyes  shone  strangely  in 
her  small  impassive  face,  which  looked  dead  white,  un- 
relieved by  the  usual  dash  of  rouge  on  cheeks  and  lips. 
The  child  danced  beautifully,  her  feet  marking  the 
time  sharply  through  their  soft  white  covering,  her 
movements  making  precise  yet  constantly  changing 
volutes  of  her  skirts  and  sleeves,  bewildering,  manifold, 
and  parti-coloured  as  the  petals  of  a tiger-lily  shaken 
by  a storm.  The  cars  were  coming  nearer  up  the 
street;  the  red  glare  of  the  lanterns  seemed  to  have 
passed  into  her  robes,  the  white  shining  of  the  moon- 
light into  her  face,  when  some  electric  thrill  ran  through 
the  dense  crowd,  hoarse  shouts  broke  forth  which 
drowned  the  clang  of  the  drums  and  cymbals,  and  a 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


121 


score  of  young  men,  wildly  intoxicated  and  yelling 
like  demons,  broke  from  the  qar,  leapt  over  the  cord 
which  had  been  drawn  round  the  scaffolding,  and  began 
to  swarm  up  it  by  its  hanging  ropes  and  draperies.  The 
thing  swayed  to  this  side  and  that ; a number  of  police- 
men threw  themselves  on  the  rioters,  who  fought 
frantically ; the  little  dancer  turned  a shade  whiter, 
but  went  on  dancing  her  weird  measure,  though  her 
samfs67i-players  had  fled ; our  own  policemen  pulled 
us  farther  into  the  shop,  hurriedly  told  the  owner  to 
look  after  us,  and  dashed  across  the  way  to  the  aid  of 
their  comrades,  who  were  far  outnumbered  by  the 
naked  assailants  of  the  stage.  But  their  interference 
and  the  delay  it  caused  saved  the  little  dancer,  if  any 
harm  was  meant  to  her ; for  now  her  master,  a middle- 
aged  man  with  a terrifled  countenance,  appeared  behind 
her,  snatched  her  up,  and  dropped  by  some  hidden 
steps  from  the  back  of  the  scaffolding  and  vanished, 
just  as  the  mob,  getting  the  better  of  the  police,  tore 
the  whole  thing  to  pieces.  It  fell  crashing  to  the 
ground,  its  draperies  huddled  among  broken  boards 
and  bits  of  theatrical  properties  which  were  stowed 
beneath  it.  Then  (for  I had  again  come  out  on  the 
step,  to  the  despair  of  the  responsible  shopkeeper)  I 
turned  my  head,  attracted  by  a flash  of  light  in  what 
had  looked  like  a dark  house  on  our  side  of  the  street. 
I saw  a woman  holding  open  a side  door,  through  which 
the  little  dancer  was  borne  on  the  back  of  her  master, 
who  flew  with  her  up  a long  flight  of  wooden  stairs. 
Her  arms  were  clasped  round  his  neck,  her  sleeves 


122 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


spread  from  his  shoulders  like  scarlet  wings,  and  as 
she  turned  her  head  at  the  top  I saw  that  she  was 
smiling.  Then  the  door  slid  into  place,  and  I never 
saw  the  little  dancer  again,  nor,  in  spite  of  my  intense 
curiosity,  could  I find  out  what  it  was  all  about.  Ogita 
had  abandoned  us  when  the  policemen  went,  and  now 
returned  rather  shamefacedly  to  my  side.  He  would 
only  say  when  questioned  that  Atanii  people  very 
rough  much,  very  comnmn  much ; very  sorry  Okusama 
see  tipsy  people  not  proper ! ’’  The  inspector  of  police 
apologised  in  much  the  same  manner  j and  since  there 
was  nothing  more  to  see  (for  the  rioters  had  become  in- 
stantaneously sober  after  they  had  wrecked  the  staging), 
I went  back  to  the  hotel,  amused  and  puzzled,  and  very 
sorry  not  to  have  tlie  key  to  the  queer  story. 


A LANDING-PLACE 


CHAPTER  VII 


OUR  RETURN  TO  TOKYO. — A STRANGE  SITUATION. — BOGS 
AND  CATS  IN  JAPAN.  — COMEDIES  OF  THE  SERVANTS’ 
QUARTERS.  — DOCTOR  BAELZ  AND  HIS  MEDICAL  STUDENTS. 

— Tokyo’s  three-hundredth  birthday.  — uyeno  and 

ITS  STORY 

Tokyo,  August  31s^,  1889. 

T“  AM  glad  to  be  writing  to  you  from  here  once 
more,  though  the  heat  is  stifling  and  persistent. 
Atami  was  not  all  poetry ; there  was  too  much  hot 
water  about  for  that ! It  is  difficult  to  keep  up  pure 
intellectual  enthusiasm,  when  twice  a day  one  has  to 
lie  for  an  hour  or  two,  a melting  mass  of  limpness, 
buried  under  piles  of  flannel  to  continue  the  effect  of 
twenty  minutes’  immersion  in  a bath  at  120°  Fahren- 
heit. No  curl  is  left  even  in  the  most  obedient  hair, 
one  looks  too  frightful  to  be  described,  and  one’s 
thoughts  are  mostly  concerned  with  the  next  thing 
that  can  be  got  to  drink.  The  cure  draws  all  the 
moisture  out  of  the  body ; a burning  thirst  is  the 
result,  and  one  is  tempted  to  think  that  Niagara  would 
not  make  such  a very  long  drink  after  all.  At  last 
I had  had  enough  of  it,  and  began  to  pine  for  my 
own  airy  rooms,  and,  I am  ashamed  to  say,  for  my 
own  cook.  H had  been  patience  itself ; so  had 


123 


124 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


Mr.  G 5 whom  he  had  brought  to  help  him  bear 

the  exile  from  civilisation ; but  I was  greeted  with 
applause,  when  I said  one  evening,  ^^This  family  will 
return  to  Tokyo  the  day  after  to-morrow.” 

There  was  any  amount  of  packing  to  do ; for  the 
more  I travel  the  more  luggage  I carry,  and  the  bare 
hotel  rooms  are  always  beautified  by  what  the  old 
American  Consul  used  to  call  layers  and  jDeanuts,” 
the  photos  and  books  and  odds  and  ends,  which  are 
the  little  familiar  gods  of  daily  life,  filling  up  quite  a 
place  of  their  own  in  our  naturall}^  idolatrous  hearts. 
My  maid,  who  had  completely  collapsed  in  the  heat, 
pulled  herself  together  enough  to  do  the  same  by  my 
properties.  Ogita  the  invaluable  engaged  eleven  jin- 
rikshas  to  pull  the  family  and  four  coolies  to  carry 
me  the  eighteen  miles  to  Kodzn,  and  early  one  morn- 
ing the  whole  population  turned  out  to  see  us  depart. 
Old  Mr.  Higuchi  the  landlord,  his  daughter  O’Detsu 
(iron),  and  Take  (bamboo)  the  maid,  and  many  others 
came  to  the  farther  bounds  of  the  town  to  wish  us 
good-bye  and  beg  us  soon  to  return.  The  grave  police- 
man in  gold-laced  cap  and  spotless  white  clothes  came 
some  distance  farther,  and  on  the  confines  of  another 
district  made  an  amiable  little  speech,  and  solemnly 
relinquished  all  further  responsibility  on  our  account. 
You  cannot  imagine  how  admirable  the  police  are  in 
Japan,  how  quiet  and  authoritative  — and  ubiquitous 
— always  there  to  be  appealed  to  in  any  difficulty,  and 
amiable  as,  I think,  only  Japanese  and  Italians  (out 
of  office ! ) can  be  amiable.  It  is  so  amusing  to  find 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


125 


that  many  of  them  can  speak  English.  Fancy  a Sor- 
rento carabiniere  or  a member  of  the  Devon  constabu- 
lary who  could  talk  Japanese ! 

After  we  had  said  good-bye  to  our  little  guardian^ 
our  troubles  began  in  earnest.  Never  that  I remem- 
ber have  we  had  to  travel  over  roads  in  such  a hope- 
less condition.  The  mud  nearly  swallowed  up  the 
coolies,  and  spattered  the  ‘occupants  of  the  jinrikshas 
till  they  were  almost  unrecognisable.  I had  the  best 
of  it  in  my  chair ; but  I expected  at  every  moment  to 
be  dropped  into  some  black  pool  of  mud,  as  my  coolies 
swayed  and  slipped  and  recovered  their  footing  and 
struggled  on  again.  I am  not  very  heavy;  but  I felt 
like  a criminal  for  making  them  carry  me  at  all.  The 
men  all  behaved  splendidly,  and  not  one  jinriksha  was 
upset.  Near  Odawara  we  suddenly  found  ourselves 
mixed  up  with  a huge  Matsuri  procession,  which  was 
making  its  slow  way  along  on  the  seashore.  Our  own 
line  of  march  was  immediately  broken;  I do  not  know 
what  happened  to  my  companions,  but  I found  myself 
advancing  solemnly  on  my  bearers’  shoulders,  between 
two  huge  cars  drawn  by  howler-decked  bullocks  and 
full  of  screaming  musicians,  surmounted  by  a tottering 
image  that  swayed  and  shook  as  the  car  advanced. 
On  one  was  the  figure  of  a woman,  life  size,  with  a 
dead-white  face  and  elaborate  coiffure  and  long  stiff 
robes  of  purple  and  gold.  She  seemed  to  be  holding  out 
her  hands  to  me  as  she  swung  this  way  and  that,  far 
above  my  head.  The  other  car  had  a huge  phoenix, 
the  Empress’s  bird,  wutli  blue  and  purple  wings  and  a 


126 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


gold  crown.  It  was  a dark  lowering  day,  and  the  sea 
was  rolling  in  with  a heavy  roar  on  iny  right  hand; 
while  on  the  land  side  stood  crowds  of  spectators,  who 


A PROCESSIONAL  CAR 


cried  out  with  delight  when  they  saw  me  apparently 
taking  part  in  the  procession.  I remembered  the  sacred 
bridge  at  Kameido,  and  hoped  there  was  no  jour- 
nalist in  the  applauding  crowd,  who  would  at  once 
publish  an  account  of  my  conversion  to  Buddhism ! 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


127 


As  I could  not  say  a word  to  the  coolies,  I was  quite 
helpless,  until  Ogita  found  out  what  was  happening, 
and  rescued  me  from  the  absurd  situation. 

We  had  left  Atami  at  half-past  seven,  and  reached 
Kodzu  at  two  — in  time  for  the  train  which  brought 
us  home  at  5.30  in  the  very  worst  downpour  of  the 
whole  season.  It  seemed  cruel  to  bring  the  pretty 
cream-coloured  ponies  out  in  it ; but  I was  very  glad 
to  get  back  to  my  own  rooms  and  the  warm  bath  and 
the  home  dinner.  We  used  to  have  that  feeling  at  the 
Odescalchi,  you  remember,  when  we  got  back  in  the 
autumn  after  roughing  it  in  the  hills  all  summer. 

The  next  morning  the  rain  had  ceased,  and  in  the 
garden  the  locusts  and  all  their  noisy  relations  were 
screaming  aloud  to  each  other  that  the  heat  would  not 
last  much  longer,  and  that  people  who  wanted  to  sing 
had  better  tune  up  and  begin.  No  locust  or  wee-wee, 
or  scissor-grinder  prima  donna  has  a note  left  when  the 
thermometer  falls  below  85" ; so  in  these  days  they  are 
all  shrieking  a tiie-t'ete^  and  very  distracting  it  is.  These 
last  heats  are  rather  exhausting.  My  dachshund  Tippoo 
Tib,  popularly  known  as  the  Brown  Ambassador,  lies 
on  his  back  between  door  and  window,  with  ears  all 
over  the  place,  and  fat  brown  satin  paws  (just  like  legs 
of  mutton  in  gloves)  turned  up  in  the  hope  of  catching 
a stray  breeze  and  showing  it  the  way  to  his  nose.  His 
nose  is  rather  his  weak  point,  for  it  has  been  damaged 
by  coming  in  contact  with  more  than  one  gheta,  I am 
sorry  to  say.  The  ghetas  are  the  wooden  clogs  which 
the  Japanese  wear  in  the  street,  and  shed  at  the  doorstep 


128 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


as  they  come  in.  All  the  servants  have  them  for 
crossing  the  courtyards,  and  there  is  often  a little  army 
of  the  curious  footgear  ranged  on  a particular  doorstep 
leading  towards  the  servants’  quarters.  Tip  is  a dog 
full  of  original  sin,  and  his  great  delight  is  to  steal  all 
the  glietas  one  by  one,  and  bury  them  in  some  solitary 
place  in  the  garden.  After  long  search  they  are  re- 
covered ; and  then,  Bince  mankind  is  also  full  of  original 


GHETA  OR  CLOG  SHOP 


sin,  I fear  they  are  occasionally  shied  at  Tip’s  offending 
nose.  Before  me  he  is  treated  with  the  most  tender 
respect,  and  solemnly  addressed  as  Tip  San. 

I think  the  Japanese  servants  make  the  theory  of  the 
transmio:ration  of  souls  account  for  our  extreme  care  of 
and  kindness  to  our  pets.  The  Russian  Minister  has  a 
decrepit  old  pug  (she  was  eighteen  last  birthday),  who 
rules  the  family  with  a rod  of  iron.  He  told  me  that 


LETTERS  FROM  JAFAX 


129 


the  other  day  he  saw  Gip  tottering  down  the  corridor, 
where  she  met  one  of  the  coolies  carrying  wood  for 
the  stove.  The  man  at  once  stopped,  ranged  himself 
against  the  wall,  and,  making  a deep  bow  as  the  png 
passed,  murmured  respectfully,  Gip  San  ! ” ^^11  croit 

que  c’est  Tame  de  ma  grande  mere ! was  our  colleague’s 
commentary  on  the  incident. 

The  Japanese  puzzle  me  in  their  treatment  of 
animals.  Sometimes  they  seem  devoted  to  them,  as 
kind  and  careful  as  English  people  are  to  their  dogs 
and  horses.  At  others  they  show  quite  a cynical 
callousness  to  their  sufferings.  As  far  as  I can  see, 
they  are  kind  to  their  own  creatures  and  indifferent  to 
those  of  other  people.  One  can  take  a kind  of  family 
pride  in  seeing  one’s  own  pampered  chin  dog  wearing 
a frilled  collar  a la  Toby,  and  swaggering  about  in 
the  sun ; but  there  is  no  satisfaction  to  be  got  out  of 
the  dog  of  one’s  neighbour’s  grandmother,  as  Ollendorff 
would  say. 

To  tell  the  truth,  the  dogs  of  Tokyo  are  not  attrac- 
tive as  dogs.  There  are  only  four  kinds : the  coarse 
wolfish  house-dog,  only  a shade  less  repulsive  than  the 
pariah  of  Peking ; a middle-sized  brown  mongrel,  smooth- 
haired, thick-set,  and  cowardly,  who  is  much  rcjpandu 
in  the  dog  world ; and  two  kinds  of  lap-dogs,  a de- 
generate King  Charles  (the  chin  above  mentioned),  and 
a smooth,  rather  bald  beast  with  spots  — both  kinds 
have  prominent  eyes,  and  their  sight  is  weak  from 
having  been  brought  up  in  the  half  light  of  Japanese 
houses.  They  generally  wear  Toby  collars  of  scarlet 


voi..  I 


K 


130 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


or  purple  to  mark  their  rank,  and  are  much  petted  by 
their  own  masters.  Even  the  pet  cat  wears  a collar; 
and  there  is  a woman  I often  pass  on  the  Koudan 
hill  near  our  gate  who  takes  her  pussy  out  for  an 
airing  wrapped  in  the  folds  of  her  own  Tdmono.  This 
is  of  course  a tailless  cat,  the  ugliest  thing  in  Japan ! 
Like  all  other  foreigners,  I have  been  much  puzzled 
by  this  destitution  of  Japanese  cats.  Ogita  declares 
that  they  are  born  without  tails  in  Dai  Nippon,  and 
adds  that  it  is  a good  thing,  too,  since  it  is  well  known 
that  a cat  with  a long  tail  is  a most  dangerous  creature, 
and  always  turns  into  a witch  when  it  grows  old. 

Perhaps  it  does ! We  have  two  weird  cats  here, 
imported  with  great  trouble  by  Lady  Plunkett  some 
years  ago.  They  come  from  Siam,  and  are  a pale 
biscuit  colour,  with  black  ears,  paws,  and  tails.  Such 
tails ! Longer  than  their  whole  bodies,  and  lashing  the 
ground  furiously  when  they  are  w^aiting  for  a spring; 
then  their  pale-green  eyes  shine  diabolically  between 
the  black  ears  above  and  the  black  nose  below ; and 
their  long  lean  bodies  fly  through  the  air  in  leaps 
that  would  not  disgrace  a panther.  The  servants 
are  horribly  afraid  of  them ; and  so  am  I,  and  so  is 
Tip.  They  wait  for  him  on  the  branch  of  an  over- 
hanging tree,  and  dro]3  on  his  smooth  brown  back  as 
he  saunters  along  in  his  lordly  way.  Then  there  is  a 
fearful  battle,  from  which  Tip  returns  a lacerated  con- 
queror, with  tags  of  biscuit-coloured  fur  between  his  teeth. 

The  Emperor  is  fond  of  dogs,  and  has  one  especial 
pet,  a tiny  long-haired  terrier,  which  was  a present 


A JAPANESE  LADY  AND  HER  PET  DOG 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


133 


from  Madame  Sannomiya.  The  little  creature  is  quite 
a personage  in  the  Palace,  and  during  this  hot  weather 
has  a servant  who  sits  beside  it  all  day  to  fan  the 
flies  away  and  put  bits  of  ice  into  its  mouth.  No  one 
is  allowed  to  w^ake  it  from  sleep;  and  I believe  there 
was  terrible  trouble  one  day  when  some  unlucky  person 
trod  on  its  tail. 

I Avish  some  kind  fairy  would  fan  me  all  day  and 
put  bits  of  ice  into  my  mouth ! The  heat  is  still  over- 
powering, and  I rather  rebel  against  it,  because  as  a 
rule  I find  warm  weather  inspiring  and  invigorating. 
This  last  week  has  been  apoplectic.  By  half-past  six 
or  seven  in  the  morning  the  sun  is  blazing;  and  if  a 
cloud  does  drift  across  his  face  in  the  course  of  the  day, 
the  air  only  seems  the  hotter  for  it.  I wander  from 
room  to  room,  in  the  thinnest  of  white  garments,  seek- 
ing for  something  to  breathe.  Just  now  I have  been 
sitting  on  the  stairs,  in  the  hope  of  catching  a stray 
breeze ; and  Tip,  limp  and  panting,  came  and  sat  down 
beside  me.  All  the  doors  and  windows  are  wide  open, 
and  have  fine  blinds  of  split  bamboo  hanging  loose  in 
them,  giving  out  a strong  grassy  smell  as  the  sun  smites 
them  from  the  other  side.  The  wide  staircase  is  half  in 
twilight,  and  so  is  the  hall  below,  where  the  palms  are 
hanging,  without  a quiver  on  the  breathless  air;  and 
the  Heavenly  Bamboo  ” trained  on  great  screens  has 
not  shaken  its  bright-red  berries  once  to-day.  Outside 
in  the  garden  everything  is  simmering  in  the  heat ; not 
a serA^ant  is  to  be  seen,  except  the  slave  of  the  hall  door, 
who  has  fallen  asleep  on  his  bench ; but  a hum  from  the 


134 


LETTEES  EKOM  JAPAN 


farther  courtyard  tells  me  that  the  rest  of  my  household 
is  gathered  there,  every  one  at  the  door  of  his  room 
under  the  shady  verandah,  probably  in  the  sketchiest 
of  costumes,  smoking  the  afternoon  pipe  and  consuming 
the  afternoon  tea.  My  English  housekeeper  tells  me 
that  very  funny  scenes  are  enacted  in  that  courtyard. 


THE  HALL 


where  she,  being  a great  favonrite,  comes  and  goes  at 
will.  On  one  doorstep  my  amah,  who  is  a bit  of  a char- 
acter, will  sit  and  scold  her  husband,  the  head  boy,  by 
the  hour,  bewailing  the  day  when  she  married  such  a 
fool  as  Rinzo.  Rinzo  takes  it  all  quite  patiently ; and 
when  she  has  done,  hands  her  his  pipe  to  clean,  and 
suggests  tea.  Opposite,  the  pantry -boy,  who  has  esthetic 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


135 


tastes,  is  arranging  flowers  in  a vase  to  put  on  the  stand 
under  a much-prized  picture  in  his  room,  and  remarks 
that  he  is  not  sorry  he  left  his  wife  in  the  hills.  Next 
to  him  Cook  San”  is  helping  his  little  girl  to  dig  up 
her  toys  from  a corner  where  Tip  buried  them  carefully 
this  morning;  while  Mrs.  Cook,  who  has  been  washing, 
is  ironing  her  clothes  by  spreading  them  very  tightly 
on  a board,  where  the  sun  will  bake  them  dry  and  stiff. 
Cook  San’s  aides-de-camp,  two  idle  .youths  in  white  cotton 
clothes,  are  pretending  to  wash  vegetables  for  to-night’s 
salad,  but  And  it  tempting  to  splash  each  other  with 
the  clear  water  from  the  tap.  Okusama  is  not  supposed 
to  enter  this  courtyard  except  at  stated  hours ; but  can- 
not resist  the  pleasure  of  occasionally  watching,  through 
the  closed  blinds  of  an  upper  window,  the  many-sided, 
brightly  coloured  life  of  its  inhabitants,  of  listening  to 
the  hum  of  chatter  which  rises  from  the  human  hive. 

Really,  servants  in  Japan  ought  to  be  very  happy  ! 
Each  man  may  bring  his  wife  and  children  and  mother 
to  live  with  him,  when  he  enters  our  service.  I have 
drawn  the  line  at  grandmothers,  on  account  of  over- 
crowding, and  also  because  it  is  impossible  to  impress 
these  very  elderly  people  with  the  necessity  and  propri- 
ety of  wearing  clothes  in  warm  weather.  They  scoff  at 
modern  ideas,  and  doubtless  talk  of  the  good  old  times 
when  they  were  young  and  all  these  absurd  decency 
fads  had  not  cropped  up.  Who  wants  clothes  except  for 
warmth,  or  to  look  smart  in  on  proper  occasions  ? Why 
be  bothered  with  them  in  the  house,  in  August  ? And 
so  it  happened  that,  when  Cook  San’s  grandmother  was 


136 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


met  in  the  kitchen  one  warm  afternoon  without  a shred 
of  raiment  on  her  old  brown  body,  then  I found  that 
there  really  was  not  room  for  more  than  three  genera- 
tions in  our  very  inadequate  servants’  quarters,  and  a 
lodging  was  found  for  the  old  lady  elsewhere. 

Of  course  we  do  not  keep  house  for  this  army  of 

people.  If  we  did,  my  good  Mrs.  D would  have 

her  hands  full  and  her  larder  empty  all  the  time.  The 
servants’  wages  cover  their  food  expenses  (the  wages 
are  low  on  the  whole),  and  we  provide  a cooking-house 
and  fuel ; each  man  is  given  one,  or,  at  the  most,  two 
little  rooms,  and  then  he  does  as  he  pleases  about  filling 
them.  Some  kind  of  supervision  has  to  be  exercised, 

and  this  is  done  by  D , our  good  liead  man,  who 

has  made  himself  much  respected  by  the  Japanese 
servants ; and  I occasionally  make  a tour  of  inspection, 
accompanied  by  him  and  his  wife,  when  I express  great 
approbation  of  the  tidy  pretty  rooms,  and  look  mint-, 
terable  things  at  less  well-kept  ones.  Now  there  is 
quite  an  ambition  about  it,  and  the  going  round  brings 
me  a little  more  into  contact  with  the  wives  and  chil- 
dren, who  amuse  me  greatly.  Little  presents  to  the 
babies  also  go  a long  way  towards  establishing  confi- 
dence between  us,  and  some  of  the  tiny  ones  get  them- 
selves brought  U23stairs  occasionally  to  see  me  or  bring 
me  flowers. 

On  one  point  I have  trouble,  and  that  is  their  dislike 
to  foreign  doctoring,  and  their  obstinate  clinging  to 
their  own  queer  medicine-men,  who  are  constantly  smug- 
gled in  through  the  stable-yard  to  attend  them,  while 


A FORTUXE-TELLEK 


LETTERS  FRO.\[  JAPAN 


139 


the  illness  is  carefully  liidclen  from  me  in  its  first  stages. 
When  the  local  quack,  half  herbalist,  half  fortune-teller, 
has  failed  to  help  them,  then  I am  told  that  So-and-so 
has  just  been  taken  ill,  and  may  they  send  for  Baelz 
Doctor  San  ” ? Doctor  Baelz  arrives,  looks  into  the 
case,  and  comes,  full  of  righteous  rage,  to  report  to  me 
that  the  patient  has  been  ill  for  a week,  and  has  been 
poisoning  himself  with  the  prescription  of  the  Japanese 
medicine-man.  Scolding  is  of  no  use.  All  one  can  do 
is  to  give  good  nursing  and  proper  remedies  a chance 
of  overcoming  the  mischief  that  has  been  done  — and 
that  will  be  done  again  at  the  first  opportunity. 

Of  course  I am  not  now  referring  to  the  Japanese 
doctors  properly  speaking.  They  are  a body  of  serious 
and  learned  men,  educated  either  in  Europe  or  here 
under  Doctor  Baelz,  who  is  the  medical  professor  at 
the  University,  and  whose  name  is  familiar  to  scientific 
men  all  over  the  world.  In  surgery  the  Japanese  do 
wonderful  work,  their  calm  nerves  and  delicate  hands 
fitting  them  to  undertake  the  most  difficult  operations. 
They  are  as  far  removed  from  the  strangely  clad 
practitioner  of  my  back  yard  as  our  great  physicians 
and  surgeons  are  from  the  quack  who  sells  medicines 
from  a cart  at  a country  fair. 

Doctor  Baelz  tells  me  that,  like  medical  students 
at  home,  the  young  men  are  occasionally  turbulent  and 
unmanageable.  His  predecessor  had  had  much  trouble 
with  a class,  and  the  first  time  that  Doctor  Baelz  took 
it  they  threatened  mutiny  of  a violent  sort.  So,  as 
soon  as  he  could  make  himself  heard,  he  told  them  in 


140 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


a few  pithy  words  that  they  had  come  to  him  with  the 
worst  reputation  in  the  University,  that  he  was  not  in 
the  least  afraid  of  them,  but  wished  it  clearly  under- 
stood that  if  they  were  unruly  there  would  be  no  lect- 
ures to  attend,  and  since  they  had  all  to  gain  from  him 
and  he  nothing  to  gain  from  them,  perhaps  they  had 
better  reflect  on  it  till  the  next  day,  when  he  would 
be  glad  to  hear  what  conclusion  they  had  come  to. 
They  broke  up  in  silence,  came  the  next  morning  to 
his  first  lecture,  and  never  gave  him  the  slightest 
trouble  afterwards. 

I could  listen  to  his  lectures  with  rapt  attention. 
He  has  made  a study,  as  only  a German  can  do,  of  the 
Japanese,  their  bodies  and  souls,  their  country  and 
their  customs.  Our  people  take  their  learning  more 
spasmodically,  and  do  not  give  it  out  so  well.  Doctor 
Baelz  has  won  a great  position  for  himself  here,  and  is 
so  constantly  appealed  to  by  Japanese  and  Europeans 
that  he  hardly  has  the  time  to  follow  up  the  questions 
of  research  which  interest  him  most.  I am  glad  he  is 
the  Legation  doctor.  One  could  not  fall  into  wiser  or 
kinder  hands. 

On  August  26th  the  three  hundredth  anniversary 
of  Tokyo’s  existence  as  a capital  was  celebrated,  very 
noisily  and  dustily,  but  with  much  enthusiasm.  A 
kind  of  popular  festival  was  inaugurated  at  Uyeno 
Park,  where  there  is  a racecourse,  and  a temple  dedi- 
cated to  lyeyasu,  the  hero  of  the  day.  I think  I told 
you  in  an  earlier  letter  of  how  Tokyo  came  by  its 
name  and  fame  — how  the  fishing  village,  with  its 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPA^ 


141 


lonely  castle  surrounded  by  many  miles  of  swamp, 
came  to  be  the  centre  of  power  in  Japan.  It  is  said 
that  the  greatest  surprise  was  expressed  by  the  war- 
riors of  lyeyasu,  when  his  intention  of  occupying  and 
fortifying  this  place  w^as  made  known  to  them.  lye- 
yasu  had  just  been  made  ruler  of  the  eight  rich  prov- 
inces governed  till  then  (1590)  by  the  Hojo  family, 
who  had  succeeded  in  becoming  Regents  and  guardians 
of  the  Shoguns,  even  as  the  Shoguns  were  the  nominal 
Regents  and  keepers  of  the  Imperial  family.  The  Hojo 
power  was  completely  broken  when  Odawara,  their 
chief  stronghold,  fell  before  the  attack  of  Hideyoshi, 
who  gave  their  lands  and  titles  to  his  great  general 
lyeyasu,  and  Yedo,  our  Tokyo,  suddenly  sprang  into 
triumphant  life  under  the  conqueror’s  sway.  People 
flocked  to  it;  great  houses  were  built  by  the  Daimyos 
who  followed  lyeyasu,  or  who,  living  far  away,  were 
obliged  by  his  successors  to  spend  a part  of  their  time 
at  the  centre  of  affairs.  The  district  called  Kojimachi 
(where  our  Legation  now  stands)  was  one  of  the  first 
to  be  colonised;  but  everywhere  the  huge  yashikis,  or 
Daimyos’  houses,  surrounded  by  enormous  buildings  for 
receiving  their  retainers,  covered  the  ground  for  miles, 
and  became  those  hotbeds  of  turbulence  which  had  to 
be  swept  away  when  the  Emperor  made  Tokyo  his 
capital  and  the  Daimyos  were  persuaded  to  lay  down 
their  power. 

Uyeno,  the  park  where  the  tercentenary  festival 
took  place,  was  one  of  these  yashikis,  the  residence 
of  the  Dairnyo  of  Todo,  who  gave  it  up  to  the  Shogun 


142 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


lyemitsu  (the  grandson  of  lyeyasu)  for  the  erection 
of  some  magnificent  Buddhist  temples,  which  were 
intended  to  remove  the  prevalent  superstition  that  the 
north-eastern  quarter  of  a town  must  always  be  the 
most  unlucky  one.  But  there  was  another  motive  for 
the  erection  of  these  great  buildings.  The  second  Sho- 
gun, to  protect  himself  against  any  possible  intrigues 
on  the  part  of  the  Emperor  in  Kyoto,  invested  an 
Imperial  Prince  (the  son  of  his  own  daughter,  who  was 
the  reigning  Empress)  with  the  dignity  of  chief  priest 
of  the  Uyeno  Temples.  From  that  time  the  office  was 
always  filled  by  an  Imperial  Prince,  who  was  looked 
upon  as  a hostage  for  the  good  behaviour  of  the 
Emperor.  lyemitsu  did  much  to  make  Yedo  both 
splendid  and  important,  one  of  his  regulations  being 
to  the  effect  that  every  Daimyo  sliould  maintain  a 
house  in  Yedo  and  pass  a portion  of  the  year  there. 
It  was  under  the  rule  of  lyemitsu  and  the  other  Toku- 
gawa  Shoguns  that  the  arts  of  Japan  reached  their 
highest  perfection ; and  the  Tokyo  of  to-day  still  shows 
many  traces  of  beauty,  which  neither  the  harrow  of 
war  nor  the  blizzard  of  modernisation  has  been  able  to 
efface.  Some  of  Ij/emitsu’s  temples  at  Uyeno  survived 
a fierce  battle  which  was  fought  in  tlieir  sacred  groves 
in  July,  1868,  between  the  Emperor’s  troops  and  the 
adherents  of  the'  last  Shogun,  who,  more  persistent  than 
their  master,  continued  to  fight  after  he  liad  consented 
to  resign.  In  this  battle  the  chief  temple  was  destroyed 
by  — an  Armstrong  gun  ! Its  site  serves  for  the  Uyeno 
Museum,  a place  where  I should  like  to  loot  undis- 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


143 


I did  not  go  to  the  noisy  festival,  which  promised 
nothing  so  distinctly  picturesque  or  sympathetic  as 
Uyeno  in  its  quiet  weekday  garb.  The  races  and  fire- 
works and  feasting  of  last  Monday  would  have  seemed 
to  me  vulgar  and  profane ; for  the  Uyeno  woods  are 


turbed  for  days ; but  the  true  glory  of  Uyeno  in  Japa- 
nese eyes  is  not  in  its  temples  or  its  museum,  or  even 
its  historical  associations,  but  in  the  cherry  trees  which 
glorify  it  in  the  spring,  and  which  I hope  to  see  — 
next  year,  Roses,  if  I live  and  do  well.’' 


THE  TOSHOGU  SHRINE,  UYENO  PARK 


144 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


my  temples  of  peace,  where  I go  and  spend  long  hours 
listening  to  the  talk  of  the  wise  old  trees  which  know 
so  much  — so  much,  that  we  can  never  be  quiet  enough 
to  learn.  I think  I must  have  come  of  the  tree  folk 

originally.  Oak  and 
palm  and  pine  — they 
are  individual  and 
dear  as  human  kin 
to  me,  and  I felt  at 
home  directly  in 
Japan,  the  land  of 
trees.  It  is  only 
since  I came  here 
that  their  hierarchy 
has  been  revealed  to 
me.  The  palm  is  a 
holy  pontiff ; the  oak 
a king,  a ruler  of 
men  ; the  pine  a seer, 
sad  and  faithful ; the 
bay-laurel  is  a poet 
whose  heart  is  warm 

PEASANTS  RETURNING  FROM  THE  WOODS.  Cypi  eSS  S, 

penitent  soul  that 
will  never  know  its  own  greatness ; the  ilex,  my  Roman 
ilex,  is  a pagan  still,  and  believes  only  in  sunshine  above 
and  warm  cliffs  and  blue  sea  below.  The  rest,  elm 
and  ash  and  willow  — well,  they  are  the  common  folk, 
sweet  and  useful,  but  not  royal,  not  indispensable,  like 
those  others. 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


145 


It  makes  one  rather  selfish  to  be  so  intimate  with 
the  trees,  and  I grudge  the  deep  glades  at  Uyeno  to 
the  screaming  crowd.  Also  that  which  they  call  a race- 
course is  a grassy  road,  running  wide  and  low  round 
the  lotus  lake,  called  Shinobazu^  where  just  now  myriads 
of  flowers  are  holding  white  and  rosy  cups  open  to  the 
sun  or  stars,  while  their  green  velvet  leaves,  a yard 
wide,  lie  on  the  water  playing  games  with  round  dia- 
mond drops  that  run  up  and  down  on  the  fine  veins 
trying  to  find  their  way  back  to  the  cool  flood  below. 
And  all  around  the  lake  fly  swarms  of  gorgeous  dragon- 
flies, their  burnished  bodies  and  filmy  rainbow  wings 
making  them  seem  living  jewels  as  they  dart  swiftly 
through  the  sunshine.  The  little  children,  as  bright 
and  gay  as  they,  come  in  bands  to  the  green  path 
round  the  lake,  and  fish  for  the  dragon-flies  with  long 
fine  threads  fastened  to  tall  rods  of  bamboo.  These 
they  fling  through  the  air  with  a sharp  whirl,  and  the 
long  thread  winds  itself  round  the  dragon-fly,  and  he 
is  slipped  into  a fairy  cage,  and  taken  home  to  be  fed 
and  petted  ; but  all  his  free  flying  is  done  for  ever. 

So  — you  see  why  I did  not  go  to  the  Uyeno  fes- 
tival ! 


VOL.  I 


L 


CHAPTER  VIII 


MIYANOSHITA.  — A CHAIR  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  WOODS.  — 
A RESTING-PLACE  IN  THE  FOREST.  — HOT  SPRINGS  AND 
wood-carvers’  shops.  — FAMILY  LIFE.  — A PRETTY  PICT- 
URE.— THE  SULPHUR  VALLEY.  — TIME  TO  GO  HOME,  AND 
THE  AUTUMN  TYPHOON 


T is  only  a fortnight  since  I returned  from  Atami 


to  Tokyo,  and  now  I am  in  Miyanoshita  among 
the  hills.  You  will  think  that  I spend  my  time  in 
flying  from  one  Japanese  watering-place  to  another; 
hut  the  truth  is  that  Tokyo,  just  now,  is  a spot  to 


wise  ! The  heat  gives  one  no  rest,  no  air,  nothing  to 
breathe  or  live  on.  Heavy  black  skies  like  prison 
blankets  hang  over  the  town,  full  of  hot  rain  and 
stored  thunder.  When  they  break,  we  are  half  drowned; 
and  when  the  sun  comes  out  after  the  deluges,  the 
heat  is  worse  than  ever — steady,  blazing,  steaming  heat, 
more  trying  than  I can  describe.  The  dampness  is  in 
everything ; shoes  and  gloves,  if  left  one  day  shut  up, 
go  green  with  mould,  and  smell  unspeakable  things 
about  vaults  and  tombs.  The  maids  have  been  spend- 
ing their  time  in  laying  my  whole  wardrobe  out  on  sheets 


Fujiya  Hotel,  Miyanoshita,  September,  1889. 


get  away  from  — on  foot,  if  it  could  not  be  done  other- 


146 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


147 


in  the  sun  (whenever  the  sun  shone)  in  the  upstairs 
verandahs ; but  my  poor  frocks  have  suffered  terribly 
already.  I quite  refused  to  have  all  my  evening  gowns 
and  pretty  things  soldered  down  in  tin  at  the  end  of 
May,  as  the  other  women  here  do ; having  only  just 
come,  with  a lot  of  smart  new  clothes,  it  seemed  rather 
hard  to  put  them  all  away,  and  wear  only  pongee  and 
Japan  crape  for  three  or  four  months:  but,  alas!  my 
pink  frock  has  turned  yellow,  my  blue  a sickly  green, 
my  beloved  black  Chantilly  has  eruptions  of  grey  spots 
all  over  it,  and  so  on  1 

Poor  H is  terribly  busy,  for  all  the  hard  work 

comes,  as  a rule,  at  the  hottest  time,  and  Treaty  Eevi- 
sion  ranges  in  the  Legation  upstairs  and  downstairs 
and  in  my  lady’s  chamber.  My  lady’s  chamber  is 
empty  just  now,  its  mistress  having  abandoned  her 
post  and  taken  refuge  in  cowardly  flight  to  the  hills, 
accompanied  by  one  or  two  friends,  the  faithful  Ogita, 
and  several  of  the  servants,  brought,  not  to  wait  on 
me,  but  because  the  poor  things  were  badly  in  need  of 

a little  fresh  air.  Mr.  G , who  is  H ’s  right 

hand  in  all  the  work,  is  up  here  too,  but  will  probably 
be  wired  for  before  he  has  quite  done  unpacking  his 
things. 

The  journey  to  Miyanoshita  is  the  same  as  that  to 
Atami  as  far  as  Kodzu,  where  one  takes  a tram,  which 
runs  for  five  or  six  miles  farther,  and  stops  at  Yumoto, 
a pretty  place,  with  a beautiful  Japanese  hotel,  at  the 
foot  of  the  hills.  From  there  the  journey  has  to  be 
continued  in  jinrikshas,  up  a steep  and  lovely  road  to 


148 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


THE  ROAD  TO  3IIYANOSH1TA 

Miyanosliita  itself.  We  were  fortunate  in  our  weather, 
for  the  day  was  one  of  shifting  showers  and  sudden 
sunshine,  with  faint  ethereal  mists  spreading,  rolling, 
melting  away,  and  gathering  again  ; making  exquisite 
effects  of  distance  when  fold  after  fold  of  mountain 
was  visible,  each  clothed  in  a clinging  veil  of  filmy 
gauze  that  seemed  to  catch  and  tear  on  the  pine  tops. 
The  full  and  rushing  stream  of  the  Hayagawa  was 
beside  us  for  a great  part  of  the  way,  making  pools  of 
light  that  doubled  the  sun  and  the  mist,  while  the 
grey  boulders  tossed  along  its  bed  broke  the  water  up 
in  airy  diamonds.  The  sense  of  rest  and  freshness 
was  wonderful,  coming  as  I did  from  the  choking 
atmosphere  of  the  town. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


149 


I travelled,  as  usual,  in  my  chair,  on  coolies’  shoul- 
ders ; and  towards  the  end  of  the  journey  we  left  tlie 
road,  and  took  short  cuts  up  through  splendid  woods, 
dark  and  cool  and  full  of  the  sound  of  water- 
falls. I am  never  so  happy  as  on  such  expeditions, 
when  I generally  leave  the  rest  of  the  party  far  be- 
hind, and  can  have  a long  zusammen  scliweigen  with  my 
friends  the  trees.  The  men  carried  me  rapidly  and 
easily,  only  stopping  twice  to  breathe  in  the  whole 
long  climb.  Though  I am  not  very  heavy,  they  were 
rather  spent  from  the  extreme  steepness  of  the  path, 
and  I made  them  stop  and  have  some  tea  at  a tiny 
brown  cJiaya,  which  leant  against  the  pine  trunks  like 
a bundle  of  brushwood.  The  little  place  was  poor 
as  a hermit’s  cell ; but  it  was  all  sweet  with  the  scent 
of  pine  needles,  and  at  the  door  a tiny  runnel  of  clear 
water  trickled  from  a bamboo  pipe  into  a hollow 
trunk  which  serves  as  a water  barrel.  On  its  edge 
was  growing  a yellow  wild  flower,  which  quivered  and 
vibrated  with  the  movement  of  the  water ; while  a sun- 
beam crept  down  through  the  branches,  and  danced  on 
the  clear  sand  at  the  bottom  and  on  the  bare  back  of 
my  head  coolie,  who  suddenly  pulled  off  his  blue  cotton 
shirt  and  plunged  it  into  the  water.  In  a moment  he 
withdrew  it,  wrung  it  out,  scattering  bright  drops  in 
the  air,  and  then  put  it  on  again  with  a sigh  of  satis- 
faction. 

Why  ? ” I inquired  uneasily ; for  the  proceeding 
looked  like  a receipt  for  pneumonia  — a cold  wet  gar- 
ment laid  on  a steaming  human  body! 


150 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


‘‘  Cold  wet  hot  wet  being-is-not/’  was  the  reply,  mean- 
ing, I suppose,  that  a garment  wrung  out  in  clear  water 
is  more  comfortable  than  one  saturated  with  perspiration. 

The  Fujiya  Hotel  is  almost  entirely  arranged  for 
Europeans,  the  only  Japanese  rooms  being  some  low 
buildings  in  the  garden  which  are  called  the  Bachelors’ 

Quarters.  Mr.  G , his  dogs  and  boys,  shook  down 

there ; and  I and  Mrs.  N had  some  pretty  rooms  on 

the  second  floor,  with  wide  views  down  the  valley,  and 
not  too  great  a distance  of  shiny  corridors  to  be  pattered 
over  in  slippers  before  we  got  to  the  baths;  for  the 
baths  are  Miyanoshita’s  reason  for  existing,  and  are 
so  delightfully  pleasant  that  it  seems  a pity  ever  to 
come  out  of  the  warm  reviving  water.  The  villages 
here  have  grown  up  round  warm  springs,  and  there 
are  no  less  than  six  of  them  in  the  gorges  of  our  noisy 
Hayagawa ; while  one,  the  hottest  of  all,  is  used  for 
baths  at  Ashinoyu,  farther  off  in  the  hills,  and  nearer 
the  source  of  the  river  itself  in  the  Hakone  Lake.  The 
waters  of  Ashinoyu  are  strong  in  sulphur,  and  fairly 
hot,  having  a temperature  of  from  90°  to  100°  Centi- 
grade ; as  they  descend  from  the  heights,  they  become 
cooler,  and,  losing  their  sulphurous  character,  take  on 
a little  more  iron.  At  Miyanoshita  the  water  is  tepid 
(45-59°),  and  has  no  sulphur  smell;  but  it  has  a delight- 
fully alive  feeling  as  if  charged  with  electricity,  and  a 
dip  in  it  takes  all  the  fatigue  out  of  weary  limbs  after 
the  longest  walk. 

The  baths  are  comfortably  arranged ; indeed  one  is 
always  sure  of  finding  an  inviting  bathroom  in  any 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


151 


hotel  in  Japan.  At  Miyanoshita  the  woods  of  which 
they  are  built  give  out  in  the  warm  atmosphere  a sweet 
aromatic  smell  quite  peculiar  to  the  place.  Nothing 
but  wood  is  used  for  walls  or  floor  or  ceiling;  and  the 
deep  tank  where  the  water  flows  is  of  wood  too,  polished 
and  scented,  and  smooth  as  velvet  to  the  touch.  The 
only  drawback  is  that  every  sound  pierces  the  thin 
wooden  partitions,  and  people  are  tempted  to  make 
remarks  or  discuss  family  affairs  with  some  member  of 
their  own  party  in  the  next  bathroom,  forgetting  that 
probably  all  the  others  are  occupied  as  well.  This 
applies  to  the  bedrooms  too ; and  I was  kept  long  awake 
by  a cheerful  lady  on  the  verandah,  who  sat  there 
telling  impossible  stories  to  a circle  of  friends  till  late 
into  the  night. 

I was  up  fairly  early  the  next  morning,  and  wandered 
out  in  search  of  some  shady  corner  where  I could  make 
friends  with  a tree  and  read  a little;  and  I found  what 
I wanted  not  far  from  the  Bachelors’  Quarters,  where, 
as  I afterwards  learned,  my  appearance  in  the  garden, 
fully  dressed,  at  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning,  caused 
profound  consternation  among  the  inhabitants.  The 
men  take  it  very  easy  in  the  mornings  in  summer, 
and  the  cool  pyjamas,  or  yucata^  are  not  exchanged  for 
clothes  proper  till  various  drinks  and  newspapers  have 
been  discussed  on  long  chairs  in  the  verandahs  and 
the  gossip  of  the  day  fairly  threshed  out.  When  the 

holiday-makers  saw  me  approaching,  Mr.  G says 

they  all  fled  indoors  and  began  to  shave,  thinking  I Avas 
bent  on  inspecting  their  domain.  He  himself,  buried 


152 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


in  the  new  dictionary  (which  just  now  consists  of  sev- 
eral thousand  little  squares  of  loose  paper),  could  not 
abandon  the  treasure  to  be  the  sport  of  the  elements, 
and  was  rewarded  for  his  valour  by  seeing  me  subside 
into  a seat  with  my  back  to  him  and  his  bachelor 
friends.  I had  been  perfectly  unconscious  of  their 
presence,  and  was  taken  up  with  wondering  how  — and 
if — I could  reach  the  highest  point  of  the  surrounding 
hills,  which,  in  spite  of  their  beauty,  troubled  me  by 
closing  us  in  all  round.  That  is  why  I never  care 
for  hills  so  much  as  for  the  sea ; there  is  more  space 
to  think  in,  when  the  horizon  is  blue  and  very  far  away. 
I found  that  the  hills  would  be  beyond  my  strength,  and 
went  instead  up  the  road  which  leads  along  the  gorge 
above  the  river,  to  the  little  village  of  Kiga,  where  there 
are  more  warm  baths  and  a number  of  Japanese  hotels. 

To  reach  it  one  has  to  pass  close  to  a thin  sheet  of 
waterfall,  which  covers  the  road  ivith  spray  for  many 
yards,  and  spreads  most  welcome  coolness  on  the  air. 
Kiga  itself  is  all  built  against  the  cliff,  so  that  many 
of  the  houses  have  the  rock  itself  for  their  inner  wall. 
It  is  a pretty,  friendly  place,  with  glimpses  of  pretty 
tea-house  gardens  and  girls  flitting  to  and  fro,  and  the 
sound  of  the  Hayagawa  everywhere.  I sat  down  for 
a moment  in  one  of  the  gardens  to  admire  the  flowers 
and  feed  the  goldfish ; and  then,  since  the  sun  was 
getting  high,  I returned  to  Miyanoshita,  and  plunged 
into  some  of  the  woodshops  in  the  village  — cool  dark 
shops,  full  of  lovely  Avork,  on  which  one  could  spend 
many  dollars  with  great  satisfaction. 


VIEW  OF  RIGA 


J 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


155 


The  work  itself  is  mostly  wood  mosaic,  intermingled 
in  a thousand  lovely  patterns  with  fretwork  or  solid 
carving.  The  screens  are  particularly  pretty,  having  a 
square  of  delicate  open  lattice-work  in  each  panel, 
mostly  in  white  wood,  set  in  many-coloured  inlaid  work, 
and  the  whole  panel  mounted  in  a richly  carved  ebony 
frame.  These  are  purely  Japanese,  and  so  are  the 
boxes  and  cabinets ; but  beside  them  are  writing-tables 
of  cruel  ugliness,  made  to  please  the  European  eye. 
Also  one  can  buy  screens  and  brackets  of  white  wood 
precisely  like  those  one  gets  to  paint  in  England. 
Altogether  the  foreign  element  is  very  strong  in  the 
Miyanoshita  shops.  On  the  third  day  of  my  stay  it 
rained,  and  I wanted  a new  book.  I had  read  all  that 
the  hotel  contained  except  one  — a religious  novel, 
which  made  much  stir  a year  ago,  and  which,  partly 
from  obstinacy,  partly  because  I prefer  to  take  my 
religion  and  my  novel  separately,  I have  steadily 
refused  to  read.  On  board  ship,  in  railway  journeys, 
in  country  hotels,  this  valuable  work  has  been  recom- 
mended to  my  notice  — in  vain ; but  I might  have 
been  tempted  to  read  it  at  Miyanoshita  that  day,  liad 
not  somebody  told  me  that  at  one  of  the  carving-shops 
there  was  actually  a lending  library,  where  one  could 
get  books  for  five  sen  a day.  I at  once  put  on  my 
rain-cloak,  and  flew  down  the  street,  which  was  quite 
deserted,  and  noisy  with  the  rattling  rush  of  the  rain. 
My  poor  interpreter  had  to  come  too,  much  against 
his  will.  When  we  reached  the  shop,  and  explained 
our  errand  to  the  woman  who  kept  it,  her  face  bright- 


156 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


ened,  and  she  said  yes,  she  had  many  books,  twelve 
in  all,  to  hire  out,  and  would  I like  this  one  ? The 
volume  she  held  out  was  — the  religious  novel  that 
I had  been  running  away  from  across  two  conti- 
nents ! 

For  me  the  real  interest  of  Miyanoshita  lies  in  the 
family  life  of  the  wood-carvers.  From  the  father 
down  to  the  tiny  children  everybody  helps,  and  it  is 
evident  that  woodwork  is  considered  the  only  honour- 
able or  interesting  trade  in  the  world.  I have  haunted 
the  shops  just  to  watch  the  people,  and  bought  heaps 
of  things  I did  not  want,  as  an  excuse  for  lingering 
among  them.  Many  of  the  workers  have  no  shop  of 
their  own,  but  supply  one  establishment  with  various 
details  of  objects,  which  are  afterwards  put  together. 
There  was  one  little  house  where  I never  saw  them 
making  anything  but  red  gods  of  happiness,  little 
bloated  creatures,  who  resolved  themselves  into  boxes 
containing  smaller  editions  of  themselves  in  two  and 
three  chapters.  These  were  blocked  out  by  one  son  of 
about  seventeen,  turned  on  a lathe  by  another,  finished 
by  a third,  and  painted  by  the  father,  whose  skilful  lay- 
ing on  of  his  few  colours  was  approvingly  watched  by 
the  family  baby  from  over  the  mother’s  shoulder.  But 
in  some  of  the  big  shops  one  sees  lovely  designs  in 
every  stage  of  completion,  every  member  of  the  family 
working  at  them  except  the  mother,  who  is  always  the 
saleswoman,  and  whose  bright  face  and  cheery  talk 
make  you  willing  to  part  with  a few  dollars  if  only 
for  the  sake  of  the  grave  ubiquitous  baby  whose  eyes. 


IN  THE  WOODS 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


159 


from  his  throne  on  her  back,  watch  you  solemnly,  and 
seem  to  take  in  every  detail  of  the  bargain. 

Poor  Mr.  G was  wired  for  after  two  days,  and 

set  off  at  4.30  one  morning  to  rejoin  the  Chief,  who 
is  gasping  over  cipher  telegrams  and  Treaty  Kevision 
in  Tokyo.  It  cleared  off  up  here,  and  we  had  a day’s 
excursion  to  Ashinoyu,  the  sulphurous  spring  high  on 
the  way  to  Hakone.  It  was  a long  climb,  through 
green  gorges  and  up  steep  mountain-paths ; but  when 
we  reached  a kind  of  pass  behind  the  solfatara,  I felt 
that  I could  breathe  at  last.  There  were  splendid  wide 
views  over  the  country,  and  far  away  a deep-blue  line 
which  meant  my  friend  the  sea.  Ashinoyu  is  a sad 
place,  full  of  sick  people  and  terribly  strong  sulphur 
fumes,  and  only  stern  necessity  could  induce  one  to 
remain  there.  It  is,  however,  a favourite  place  with 
the  Japanese,  who  must  be  less  subject  to  melancholy 
than  Europeans,  I think.  They  walk  about  a good 
deal  in  the  hills,  and  one  comes  sometimes  on  parties 
of  young  girls,  full  of  fun  and  laughter,  with  flowers  in 
their  hands  and  flowers  in  their  hair,  springing  along 
light  as  young  fawns  on  the  hillside. 

I met  a typical  group  the  other  day  in  the  woods. 
It  must  have  been  a family  party,  since  it  included 
a handsome  elderly  man  and  two  boys,  besides  two  or 
three  girls.  It  was  one  of  these  that  I saw  first,  com- 
ing down  towards  me  through  the  green  glades,  and 
a pretty  picture  she  made,  though  one  that  might 
have  startled  an  inexperienced  traveller.  Her  robe  of 
soft  blue  crepe  had  been  thrown  off,  and  was  only  held 


160 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


on  round  the  waist  by  a rich  silk  obi,  leaving  her  arms, 
shoulders,  and  bosom  bare  and  white  to  the  daylight. 
Her  slender  limbs  were  incased  in  tightly  fitting  white 
silk  gaiters  buttoned  up  to  the  knee,  and  the  skirts  of 
her  kimono  were  kilted  high  through  her  girdle.  Her 
head  was  bare,  and  the  sunbeams  came  down  through 
the  leaves  on  her  shining  hair  and  dark  eyes,  on  the 
sheaf  of  wild  flowers  laid  in  a fold  of  her  naked  arm, 
even  on  her  little  feet,  bare  too,  except  for  light  straw 
sandals  tied  on  with  wisps  of  grass.  She  stood  still 
for  a minute  when  she  saw  me,  and  laughed  shyly,  and 
laid  down  her  flowers,  and  pulled  up  her  kimono  over 
her  pretty  shoulders ; then  her  brothers  and  sisters 
burst  through  the  bushes  with  cries,  and  laughter,  and 
flying  draperies,  and  bare  young  limbs,  and  the  whole 
band  ran  away  from  me  through  the  sunny  woods. 

In  such  surroundings  there  seems  nothing  shock- 
ing or  unnatural  in  seeing  young  human  bodies  bare 
to  warm  -air.  At  Atami  one  day  I was  looking  out 
of  my  window  rather  early  in  the  morning,  and  noticed 
a pile  of  brightly  coloured  garments  lying  on  a wood 
heap.  Nobody  was  about;  but  I heard  laughter  and 
young  voices  coming  from  a tumbledown  bath-house 
near  by,  and  then,  swift  as  light,  a slender  young 
girl  came  running  out,  the  water  flying  in  shining 
showers  from  her  limbs  as  she  sprang  at  one  bound 
on  the  pile  of  wood;  there  she  stood,  naked  and  un- 
ashamed, her  arms  stretched  high  above  her  head, 
laughing  out  the  joy  of  her  heart  to  the  rising  sun, 
and  breathing  in  all  the  freshness  of  the  new  day.  I 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


161 


never  saw  a more  beautiful  picture  of  innocence  and 
happiness. 

There  are  lovely  walks  round  Miyanoshita,  though 
all  but  one  or 
two  involve  a 
good  deal  of 
climbing.  The 
view  from  a 
spur  of  the 
hill  behind 
the  Bachelors’ 

Quarters  of 
Fujiya’s  hotel 
is  quite  lovely. 

A sharp  ascent 
leads  to  a de- 
serted tea-shed 
where  one  can 
sit  and  gaze 
out  towards 
the  sea,  with 
the  long  low 
island  of  Eno- 
shinia  lying 
like  a dark  hull 


on  its  bosom 


THE  SMOKING  VALLEY,  OJIGOKU 


while  inland, 

Fuji’s  solemn  outline  dominates  the  lower  hills.  The 
weather  is  still  so  warm  that  I have  not  felt  inclined  to 
push  up  to  Hakone,  but  was  betrayed  into  visiting  the 


VOL.  I 


M 


162 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


smoking  spot  called  indiscriminately  Ojigokn  (the 
Greater  Hell),  or  Owaki-dani  ” (the  Valley  of  the 
Greater  Boiling).  There  constant  clouds  of  sulphurous 
smoke  break  through  the  thin  crust  of  earth,  and  come 
rolling  down  the  gorge ; the  earth  is  everywhere  hot 
to  the  touch;  the  rocks  are  caked  grey  and  yellow 
with  sulphur ; and  the  fumes  are  overpowering.  I 
never  saw  a more  awful  place.  There  is  a narrow  path, 
where  one  has  to  follow  the  guide  very  carefully ; in 
many  places  the  ground  on  either  side  will  give  to  the 
slightest  touch,  and  there  have  been  some  frightful 
catastrophes,  owing  to  the  carelessness  or  incredulity  of 
people  who  came  to  visit  the  sinister  spot.  A young 
English  girl  whom  I knew  stepped  on  this  treacherous 
crust,  and  at  once  sank  in  the  seething  mud  which  it 
concealed.  She  was  rescued  by  her  companions,  and 
did  not  lose  her  life,  as  some  have  done ; but  she  was 
terribly  burnt,  and  will  carry  the  marks  of  her  accident 
on  her  limbs  to  her  dying  day. 

There  is  a distinct  fascination  about  the  place.  We 
saw  it  on  a grey  day,  when  the  sky  seemed  dark  with 
coming  storm  ; the  air  was  heavy  and  breathless,  and 
there  was  not  the  slightest  current  of  wind  to  interfere 
with  the  volumes  of  sullen  white  smoke,  which  rose 
and  rolled  and  curled  in  a thousand  weird  shapes  in 
the  desolate  gorge,  where  not  a blade  or  leaf  can 
grow.  The  hill  which  rises  directly  behind  the  boiling 
valley  is  clothed  in  a garment  of  dense  green  forest, 
making  a surprising  contrast  to  the  scorched  foreground 
of  the  picture,  where  everything  is  white  with  ashes 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


163 


or  crusted  with  deathly  looking  sulphur,  Japan  is 
certainly  richer  in  hot  springs  than  any  other  country 
in  the  world.  They  meet  you  at  every  turn,  and  are 
immensely  prized  and  appreciated  by  the  people. 

It  was  a relief  to  come  down  from  the  horrible  chok- 
ing fumes  and  ghastly  colour- 
ing of  the  boiling  valley  to 
friendly  Miyanoshita,  with  its 
bright  shops  and  sweet  wood 
smells,  and  its  miles  of  bam- 
boo piping,  through  which  the 
warm  water  of  the  springs  is 
conducted  to  every  inn,  almost 
to  every  house,  in  the  town. 

The  universal  application  of 
bamboo  to  the  needs  of  man 
is  one  of  the  real  successes  of 
Japanese  ingenuity.  It  is  al- 
ways used  for  conducting 
water,  the  sections  of  its  hol- 
low cane  fitting  tightly  and 
strongly  together.  W ater- 
cans,  basins,  boxes,  cups  are 
made  from  segments  of  the 
variety  which  has  a solid 

^ BAMBOO  AND  VINE 

division  at  every  knot,  and 

which,  when  mature,  lends  itself  to  beautiful  polish  and 
carving.  Then  the  building  fancies,  the  garden  decora- 
tion, the  elaborate  lattice- work  are  as  charming  as  they 
are  surprising ; and  one  can  hardly  believe  that  the 


164 


LETTERS  EFvOM  JAPAN 


material  for  all  these  is  supplied  by  one  plant.  A bam- 
boo spear  is,  I am  told,  one  of  the  most  dangerous  of 
weapons,  and  has  been  known  to  transfix  two  men  at 
once  ; the  leaves  serve  for  more  uses  than  I can  mention ; 
and  the  new  shoots  make  an  excellent  vegetable.  I 
used  to  say  that  I would  only  live  in  the  countries 
where  grapes  were  grown;  it  always  made  me  feel 
forlorn  and  away  from  home  to  be  north  of  the  vine 
line : but  I shall  miss  the  bamboo  quite  as  much,  I 
think,  when  fate  says  Shift ! ” and  sends  us  back  to 
brick  houses  and  leaden  pipes  and  tin  utensils,  all  as 
costly  as  they  are  hideous. 

The  heat  is  lessening.  Little  breezes  come  up  from 
Odawara  and  the  sea  every  evening.  There  are  sure 
to  be  heavy  storms  towards  the  end  of  the  month, 
and  — 1 think  it  is  time  to  go  home ! 


Tokyo,  Septe7nher. 

I was  glad  that  I left  Miyanoshita  when  I did; 
for  just  after  my  departure  a violent  typhoon  came 

whirling  across  the  country,  and  did  much  damage 

there.  That  part  of  the  hotel  where  I had  my  rooms 
sutfered  heavily,  many  houses  were  completely  wrecked, 
and  everybody  was  horribly  shaken  and  frightened. 

The  Nabeshimas  (Marquis  Nabeshima  was  at  one  time 
Japanese  Minister  in  Rome)  were  staying  in  the  pretty 
hotel  at  Kiga,  where  I had  gone  in  to  admire  the 

flowers  and  the  goldfisli  a few  days  before.  A great 
part  of  it  was  blown  oft  its  rock  perch,  and  })oor 
Madame  Nabeshima  and  the  children  had  to  be  res- 


THE  HEART  OF  THE  TYPHOON 


■j; 


’ • V^- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


167 


cued  from  considerable  danger  in  the  dead  of  night 
in  torrents  of  rain.  Even  here  in  Tokyo,  where  we 
were  much  farther  removed  from  the  centre  of  the 
storm,  the  commotion  was  terrible.  Bricks  and  slates 
were  flying  in  every  direction,  trees  were  uprooted  and 
tossed  about  like  dry  leaves,  jinrikshas  and  carriages 
were  blown  right  over  in  the  streets,  and  it  rained  — 
ramrods ! 

This  is  the  first  bad  typhoon  that  I have  seen  on 
land ; and  though  it  is  certainly  less  terrible  than  when 
it  catches  one  at  sea,  it  is  a sufficiently  fearful  visitation. 
It  seems  to  have  started  somewhere  far  to  the  north 
of  Japan,  and  to  have  found  its  way  to  us  along  the 
warm  current  which  is  our  gulf  stream,  giving  us 
palms  and  camellias  in  the  open  air  all  through  a 
winter  which  will  keep  North  China  or  Jersey  City  ice- 
bound for  months  in  the  same  latitude  with  us.  Truly 
climate  is  to  a country  what  environment  is  to  in- 
dividuals. One  has  to  pay  in  some  way  for  advantages 
in  both  directions ; and  Japan’s  gulf  stream  does  not 
seem  dear,  even  at  the  cost  of  an  occasional  typhoon. 
The  storm  moved  here  at  the  rate  of  fifty-eight  miles 
an  hour,  which  was  nothing  like  the  velocity  at  the 
centre,  over  a hundred  miles  away.  The  incessant  roar 
of  the  wind  and  the  iron  rattle  of  the  rain  which 
always  go  with  it  make  a serious  typhoon  intensely 
fatiguing  to  live  through,  and  I fancy  that  it  must  be 
accompanied  by  some  acute  electric  disturbance  which 
tells  painfully  on  the  nerves.  Sensitive  people  feel 
unreasonably  depressed  at  the  approach  of  a typhoon. 


168 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


some  hours  before  it  has  declared  "itself ; and  those  who 
have  lived  through  many  such  storms  tell  me  that  they 
always  feel  that  stress  of  personal  conflict  and  final 
exhaustion  which  I experienced  during  the  hurricane. 
At  sea  it  must  have  been  horrible ; some  of  the  skippers 
say  that  they  never  encountered  more  awful  weather, 
and  they  and  their  passengers  were  amazedly  thankful 
to  find  that  they  had  really  survived  it.  Of  course 
all  the  rivers  are  in  flood,  and  there  has  been  pitiful 
loss  of  life  in  the  districts  where  the  storm  was  at 
its  worst. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  ATTACK  ON  COUNT  OKUMA. — SOSHI  AGITATION. — THE 
CAMPOS  INCIDENT.  — A CONCERT  AND  A CHARITY.  — 
THE  SADDEST  THING  IN  JAPAN.  — FATHER  TESTEVUIDE 
AND  THE  LEPER  HOSPITAL  AT  GOTEMBA.  — JAPANESE 
HELPERS 


HE  course  of  Treaty  Revision,  which  was  begin- 


ning to  run  a little  more  smoothly  with  Count 
Okuma’s  help,  has  suddenly  come  to  a standstill  in  a 
rather  tragic  w^ay.  Count  Okuma,  who  has  been  Min- 
ister for  Foreign  Affairs  for  several  months,  is  a man 
of  much  intellectual  power  and  resolute  character.  At 
one  time,  I believe,  he  was  strongly  in  opposition  to 
the  new  ideas ; but  he  has  advanced  with  the  times, 
and  is  now  accused  by  the  anti-foreign  politicians  of 
yielding  too  readily  to  our  demands,  and  of  granting 
too  much  in  the  proposed  treaty,  especially  as  regards 
the  retention  of  foreign  judges  in  Japanese  courts.  I 
must  say,  in  passing,  that  what  his  countrymen  called 
his  absurdly  generous  terms  were  indignantly  refused 
by  our  people  on  the  ground  of  their  complete  inade- 
quacy to  meet  our  requirements.  Of  course  poor  Count 
Okuma  has  not  got  thus  far  on  the  road  of  progress 
without  making  for  himself  many  enemies.  With  the 


October.,  1889. 


109 


170 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


soshi  he  has  long  been  known  as  a marked  man,  and 
only  two  months  ago  one  of  these  gentlemen,  called 
Koyama  Katsutaro,  tried  several  times  to  gain  admit- 
tance to  his  presence,  but  was  always  prevented  from 
doing  so.  At  last  he  climbed  over  the  wall  into  the 
garden  of  the  official  residence,  and  suddenly  appeared, 
as  Count  Okuma  came  out  of  the  house  to  get  into  his 
carriage.  Koyama  asked  if  that  gentleman  were  the 
Minister,  and  the  coachman,  suspecting  evil,  answered 
that  he  was  not.  Koyama  was  promptly  arrested,  but 
proved  to  be  unarmed,  and  after  a short  time  was  set 
at  liberty  again. 

The  Cabinet  Ministers  are  always  accompanied  by 
one  or  two  detectives,  who  follow  them  about  in  jin- 
rikshas,  generally  at  too  great  a distance  behind  the 
carriage  to  be  of  much  use,  but  near  enough  to  mark 
it  clearly  to  any  one  looking  out  for  an  official  victim. 
All  this  escort  business  was  annoying  in  the  extreme 
to  Count  Okuma,  a bold  and  self-reliant  man ; and  its 
uselessness  was  shown  by  a sadly  practical  demonstration 
a few  days  ago. 

The  Count  was  returning  from  a Cabinet  Council, 
where  there  had  been  a rather  stormy  debate  about 
Treaty  Revision.  As  the  carriage  turned  into  the  drive 
leading  up  to  the  house,  a quiet-looking,  well-dressed 
young  man  stepped  forward,  holding  a small  parcel 
rolled  up  in  a violet  handkerchief,  such  as  the  official 
employes  use  for  wrapping  papers  in.  Taking  aim  at 
the  Count,  he  flung  the  parcel  at  him  with  all  his  force, 
and  as  it  exploded  cut  his  own  throat  and  fell  dead. 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


171 


The  missile  did  not  strike  the  Count  full  in  the  body, 
as  it  was  meant  to  do,  because  tlie  coachman,  seeing 
the  man  raise  his  arm,  had  whipped  up  the  horses,  who 
plunged  forward,  thus  causing  the  bomb  to  explode  on 
the  side  of  the  carriage ; but  the  splinters  struck  Count 
Okuma’s  right  leg,  which  was  crossed  over  the  left,  and 
shattered  his  knee.  The  horses  were  terrified,  and 
galloped  on,  but  were  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  house, 
and  the  poor  gentleman  Avas  lifted  out  and  taken  up- 
stairs. He  did  not  lose  consciousness  or  composure 
for  a moment,  and  was  found  holding  his  knee,  or  what 
remained  of  it,  with  both  hands.  Some  one  who  was 
there  told  me  that  the  wrecked  carriage  and  torn  limb 
presented  a terrible  sight,  but  Count  Okuma’s  perfect 
calmness  and  cheeriness  greatly  impressed  every  one. 
That  the  act  was  inspired  by  fanaticism  was  made 
clear  by  the  suicide  of  the  assassin. 

That,  in  Japanese  eyes,  was  as  it  should  be.  It  is 
the  correct  and  gentlemanlike  end  to  such  an  affair. 
The  excuse  being  supposed  to  be  pure  patriotism,  the 
deed  is  not  complete  unless  the  doer  gives  his  own  life 
with  that  of  his  victim.  The  man  who  made  this 
attempt  seems  for  a long  time  past  to  have  contemplated 
something  of  the  kind  ; and  that  the  deed  was  the  result 
of  pure  fanaticism  was  shown  by  his  end.  When  he 
cut  his  throat,  he  did  not  know  Avhether  he  had  succeeded 
or  not.  His  name  was  Tsuneki  Kurushiina;  he  was 
twenty-seven  years  old,  and  the  son  of  a former  retainer 
of  Count  Kuroda.  Poor,  partially  educated,  an  eager 
reader  of  the  newspapers,  and  especially  of  those  which 


172 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAR- 


indulge  in  violent  anti-foreign  agitation/  liis  brain  seems 
to  have  been  filled  with  vague  ideas  of  patriotism,  and 
lie  used  to  tell  his  friends  that  he  was  well  qualified  to 
die  for  his  country,  having  no  one  dependent  on  him. 
He  had  been  thoughtful  and  silent  for  a few  days  before 
making  the  attack,  and  evidently  looked  upon  himself  as 
a martyr  to  his  country. 

As  generally  happens  in  these  cases,  the  outrage 
has  awakened  a good  deal  of  indignation,  and  sent  the 
weight  of  public  sympathy  over  to  the  other  side  of 
the  scale.  But  among  the  soshi  and  the  Radicals  it 
seems  to  have  roused  the  anti-foreign  feeling  somewhat 
strongly.  We  are  occasionally  met  by  scowling  faces  in 
the  streets.  The  other  day,  as  we  were  driving  through 
a rather  rough  suburb,  a soshi  insisted  on  running  beside 
the  carriage  for  a long  time,  certainly  not  from  friendly 
feeling.  He  suddenly  disappeared  when  we  could  have 
handed  him  over  to  a policeman ; but,  after  all,  the 
roads  are  free,  he  had  committed  no  greater  breach  of 
the  peace  than  my  hettos  do  when  they  run  beside  the 


1 Some  time  after  these  occurrences,  I made  the  acquaintance  of  the 
gentleman  who  was  at  this  time  the  editor  of  the  Seiron,  one  of  the  most 
advanced  of  the  anti-foreign  papers.  He  told  me  that  the  proposal  to  retain 
foreign  judges  in  the  courts  of  appeal  (the  arrangement  was  to  be  terminable 
in  a few  years)  roused  a storm  of  feeling  in  Japan  such  as  even  we  were 
unaware  of.  All  patriots  looked  upon  it  as  an  insult  to  the  country’s  inde- 
pendence and  a direct  breach  of  the  Constitution.  Although  a man  of  high 
education  and  much  political  acumen,  he  himself  felt  it  his  duty  to  oppose 
the  measure  by  every  means  in  his  power,  but  was  horrified  to  hear  of  the 
attack  on  Count  Okuma,  which  was  the  direct  outcome  of  the  agitation. 

Needless  to  say  Great  Britain  had  no  wish  to  hamper  Japan’s  indepen- 
dence, but  only  to  protect  her  own  subjects  during  the  time  when  the 
Japanese  were  learning  to  administer  their  own  laws. 


LETTERS  ERO.M  JAPAN 


173 


horses’  heads,  and  it  would  have  been  absurd  to  take 
notice  of  the  small  annoyance.  I am  sorry  to  say  that 
once  or  twice  stones  have  been  thrown  at  the  carriage ; 
but  here  again  the  offender  was  some  half-grown  boy, 
and  it  seemed  a pity  to  com- 
plicate our  very  amicable  re- 
lations with  the  Government 
people  by  constant  small  com- 
plaints ; so,  as  it  only  hap- 
pened when  I was  driving 
alone,  I held  my  peace,  and 

have  not  even  told  H 

about  it.  I hate  to  be  kept 
inside  the  compound,  and  so 

go  out  as  usual ; while  H 

refuses  to  take  the  slightest 
notice  of  the  agitation,  and 
walks  all  over  the  town,  quite 
alone,  rather  to  my  terror. 

Mrs.  N , who  was  horribly 

alarmed,  poor  thing,  was 
wailing  to  me  that  we 
should  all  be  murdered,  and 
added  that  it  was  a great 
grief  to  her  that  her  husband  was  nearly  the  same 
height  as  the  Chief,  ^^for  I am  sure  they  will  kill 
him  instead  of  Mr.  Fraser ! ” 

Thii^  was  such  a comforting  way  of  putting  things, 
was  it  not  ? I was  very  angry ; but  of  course  I laughed, 
as  I always  do  when  people  expect  me  to  look  solemn. 


174 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


Mr.  G , who  knows  more  of  the  Japanese  than  most 

people,  has  made  me  promise  not  to  use  the  open  car- 
riage, or  let  the  Chief  show  himself  in  it,  as  it  makes 
such  a mark  for  a shot  or  a.  bomb.  A soshi  would  not 
attack  a tall  Englishman  face  to  face  on  foot,  says  our 
friend  and  adviser,  but  — Ave  Avill  draAV  the  line  at  the 

victoria.  So  H takes  his  usual  w^alks,  and  I hear 

occasional  pebbles  rattle  on  the  roof  of  the  brougham 
Avithout  undue  concern. 

But  I am  A^ery  sorry  for  the  Okumas.  They  are 
some  of  the  nicest  of  the  people  here,  and  have  been  so 
kind  and  friendly  to  us  since  Ave  came.  He  is  cheery 
and  full  of  talk,  and  the  little  Countess  a dainty  smiling 
creature,  exquisitely  dressed,  and  deA^oted  to  her  home, 
and  her  beautiful  gardens  at  Waseda,  Avhich  are  one  of 
the  sights  of  Tokyo.  They  say  she  Avas  as  calm  and 
courageous  as  her  husband  under  the  dreadful  shock, 
and  is  nursing  him  devotedly.  He  is  getting  on  AA^ell,  but 
has  had  to  lose  his  leg,  as  it  Avas  too  hopelessly  shattered 
to  be  saved.  One  has  a horribly  uncomfortable  feeling 
about  the  Avhole  thing,  a kind  of  futile  and  unreasonable 
self-reproach,  because  the  catastrophe  Avas  caused,  hoAV- 
ever  indirectly,  by  our  Treaty  Revision  business. 

We  had  just  had  a proof  of  the  good  dispositions 
of  the  Japanese  Foreign  Office  in  a tiresome  little  affair 
of  our  own,  the  settlement  of  Avhich  Avould  liaA^e  been 
impossible  had  they  not  chosen  to  be  amiable  about 

it  — entirely  out  of  personal  feeling  toAvards  H^ , as 

they  took  care  to  explain  to  me  unofficially.  I do  not 
knoAV  Avhy  I A\^as  told,  for  as  a rule  I keep  very  clear  of 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


175 


talking  about  business,  and  confine  myself  to  my  own 
domain.  The  complication  began  in  the  flight  from 
justice  of  a man  called  Campos,  a Spaniard  by  birth,  but 
a British  subject,  who  had  escaped  from  Hong  Kong, 
where  he  was  wanted  ” on  a charge  of  forgery.  The 
Hong  Kong  authorities  traced  him  to  Kobe,  and,  without 

asking  H ’s  permission,  wired  to  our  Consul  there  to 

arrest  him,  which  the  Consul  (also  without  asking  for 
instructions)  managed  to  do  outside  the  foreign  settle- 
ment, on  Japanese  ground.  Here  was  the  making  of  an 
extremely  pretty  quarrel  by  small  sword  light.”  The 
Japanese  naturally  protested  against  our  arresting  male- 
factors in  Japanese  territory ; our  Extradition  Treaty 
with  Japan  has  not  yet  been  framed,  and  cannot  be 
thought  of  till  Revision  is  done  with,  and  I think  there 
was  a moment  of  honest  bewilderment  on  both  sides  as 
to  what  to  do  with  Campos.  The  papers  were  noisy, 
and  British  jingoes  (of  whom  the  East  is,  alas,  full) 
talked  of  the  fine  old  days  and  Sir  Harry  Parkes,  and  a 

week  or  so  went  by.  Then  H suggested  that  a 

simple  plan  would  be  for  us  to  set  Campos  at  liberty, 
and  for  the  Japanese  to  rearrest  him  and  politely  return 
him  to  us  for  extradition,  which  was  accordingly  done, 
everybody  was  satisfied,  and  there  was  no  quarrel  left  to 
talk  about. 

No  one  can  imagine  how  much  trouble  our  own 
people  sometimes  make  by  their  tall  talk  in  peace  and 
their  tendency  to  panic  in  moments  of  excitement. 
Somehow  the  least  educated  and  weakest  are  always 
the  most  disposed  to  aggression  and  interference.  The 


176 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


higher  class  of  British  merchants  less  often  come  to  the 
fore  than  the  smaller  men,  who  always  seem  glad  of  a 
chance  to  give  ^trouble  and  stop  the  course  of  affairs. 
There  are  one  or  two  inferior  journals  published  in  the 
Yokohama  Settlement  in  order  to  air  the  complaints  and 
offer  the  advice  of  this  class,  which  reminds  me  of 
Samuel  Pepys’  description  of  the  French  when  the 
Spaniards  had  beaten  them  in  the  fight  for  precedence 
at  St.  James’s  — Never  saw  I a people  more  overbear- 
ing in  the  beginning  of  an  undertaking,  or  more  abject 
after  the  failure  thereof.”  I have  stopped  reading  these 
rags,  which  always  attack  us,  or  the  Home  Government, 
or  the  Emperor,  when  news  is  scarce.  I can  stand 
intelligent  abuse,  or  good-natured  ignorance;  but  the 
two  nouns  in  unqualified  conjunction  make  me  tired,  as 
the  Americans  say. 

All  these  commotions  have  interfered  sadly  with  a 
particular  design  of  my  own,  which,  -being  Avhat  the 
sporting  papers  call  ^^an  event,”  had  to  come  off  in 
the  midst  of  them,  and  turned  out  a great  success  all  the 
same.  This  was  a big  charity  concert,  given  in  aid  of 
two  things  — our  Leper  Hospital  at  Gotemba,  and  a 
much-needed  chapel  to  be  built  in  the  Asakusa  district. 
You  know  how  an  undertaking  of  this  kind  shunts  all 
one’s  other  affairs  off  on  the  sidings  of  life  for  the 
moment,  and  how  one  gasps  with  relief  when  the  thing  is 
well  over.  This  concert  gave  us  no  end  of  work,  but  has 
turned  out  a great  success,  and  we  have  made  more  money 
than  we  expected.  The  great  hall  of  the  Koku-Meikwan, 
the  Nobles’  Club,  was  lent  for  it,  and  was  beautifully 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


177 


decorated  with  palms  and  flowers.  Everybody  who  could 
play  erasing  offered  their  help,  and  the  hall  was  crowded, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  concert  took  place  on  the  day 
after  the  attempt  on  the  life  of  Count  Okuma,  and  that, 
owing  to  his  critical  condition,  it  was  ruled  that  none  of 
the  Diplomatic  body  would  attend.  I was  much  disap- 
pointed at  not  being  present,  and  was  also  sure  that  my 
absence  would  be 
misunderstood  by 
my  collaborators  in 
the  work.  How- 
ever, all  went  well, 
and  we  shall  have 
the  satisfaction  of 
sending  a good  round 
sum  to  both  our 
charities.  My  own 
sympathies  are 
strongly  interested 
in  the  little  Leper 
Hospital  at  Go- 
temba,  which 
has  already 
done  so  much 
good  during  its 
short  existeim^ 

The  prevalence 
of  leprosy  is  one  of 
the  few  sad  sides 
of  Japanese  life. 


BLINL>  BEGGAKS 


VOL.  I 


N 


178 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


Through  a kind  of  false  shame  the  authorities  refuse 
to  acknowledge  the  necessity  of  either  providing  special 
hospitals  for  lepers  or  of  preventing  the  spread  of  the 
disease.  It  is  generally  of  a very  insidious  character, 
and,  except  for  experts,  by  no  means  easy  to  diag- 
nose in  its  first  stages.  The  lobes  of  the  ears  become 
thick,  also  the  nostrils ; there  is  loss  of  sensation 

in  the  extremities,  and  the  nails  begin  to  shrivel ; 
the  face  takes  on  a dark-red  colour,  and  then  the 
fingers  and  toes  gradually  disappear;  and  in  some  cases 

the  disease  stops  at  this  point,  and  the  sufferer  may 

live  many  years  without  growing  any  worse.  This 

is  one  well-known  form  of  the  sickness  in  Japan ; but 
there  are  a multitude  of  cases  of  the  more  virulent 
sort,  producing  terrible  suffering,  and  an  appearance  too 
horrible  to  be  described.  The  Japanese  do  not  believe 
in  contagion,  the  caprices  of  the  malady  giving  a cer- 
tain amount  of  excuse  for  the  error.  Sometimes  it  is 
contracted  at  the  first  contact  with  the  sufferer ; but 
in  other  cases  people  may  live  for  years  in  daily  inter- 
course with  lepers,  and  be  none  the  worse.  Among 
the  better  class  it  is  looked  upon  as  a terrible  dis- 
grace, and  never  called  by  its  proper  name,  the  sufferer 
being  hidden  away  in  the  house  and  tended  in  secret. 
Among  the  lower  classes  very  little  notice  is  taken 
of  the  first  approach  of  the  disease ; but  when  the 
unfortunate  patient  becomes  an  object  of  loathing  and 
horror,  when  he  is  most  in  need  of  care  and  help,  he 
is  cast  out  to  linger  on  in  misery  and  die  an  agonising 
death  — alone. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


179 


( Such  cruelty  is  really  foreign  to  the  national  char- 
' acter ; nowhere  is  there  more  help  and  kindness  shown 
in  the  family  and  the  tribe  than  in  Japan,  and  the 
treatment  of  the  wretched  lepers,  horrible  as  it  seems 
to  us,  can  only  be  put  down  to  the  exceeding  loath- 
someness  of  the  disease  itself  and  the  stigma  of  dis- 
grace that  it  carries  with  it.  The  Japanese  doctors 
regard  it  as,  to  a certain  extent,  curable,  and  have 
devoted  much  science  and  research  to  the  subject. 
One  in  particular.  Doctor  Goto,  has  made  some  success- 
ful cures,  and  the  boiling  springs  of  Kusatsu  are  useful 
in  the  earlier  stages ; but  such  aids  are  for  those  who 
can  pay  something  for  the  use  of  them,  and  the  condi- 
tion of  the  pauper  leper  in  Japan  remains  one  of  the 
greatest  misery  and  suffering  that  any  human  being 
can  be  called  upon  to  endure.  One  of  the  Empresses 
(her  name  was  Komyo  Kogo,  and  she  was  a devout 
Buddhist),  many  centuries  ago,  touched  with  pity  for 
this  wretched  class  of  her  subjects,  founded  a hospital 
for  them,  where,  although  she  was  the  most  beautiful 
woman  of  her  time,  she  was  not  afraid  to  go  every 
day  to  wash  their  sores  and  attend  to  their  wants. 
But  no  trace  of  her  charity  remains  now.  Lepers  are 
received  with  other  sick  people  in  a very  few  hospitals 
of  the  old  simple  sort,  — I was  in  one  not  long  ago 
where  I saw  leprosy,  typhoid,  and  diphtheria  in  the 
same  ward,  — but  the  hospital  accommodation  is  still 
pitifully  insufficient.  A few  very  bad  cases  of  leprosy 
may  be  put  together  for  the  convenience  of  tending 
them ; but,  roughly  speaking,  no  provision  is  made  for 


180 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


such  sufferers,  and  the  University  Hospital,  directed  by 
Doctor  Baelz,  the  Empress’s  Charity  Hospital,  and  most 
of  the  others  very  rightly  refuse  to  receive  lepers  at 

all.  Doctor  Baelz  inclines  to 
the  opinion  that  the  disease, 
as  a rule,  is  not  violently  con- 
tagious here,  and  assures  me 
that  he  would  rather  share 
the  apartment  of  a leper  than 
that  of  a consumptive  patient ; 
he  also  tells  me  that  I prob- 
ably meet  many  of  the  former 
every  time  I go  out  of  the 
compound,  so  perhaps  it  is  for- 
tunate that  I have  no  special 
dread  of  contagions  in  general, 
such  as  induces  one  of  my  friends  here,  a very  nervous 
woman,  to  use  only  Apollinaris  water  for  toilet  purposes  ! 

All  this  being  so,  you  see  how  great  was  the  need 
for  the  little  Hospital  which  was  founded,  three  years 
ago,  by  Father  Teste vuide,  one  of  the  French  mission- 
aries here.  Like  many  great  undertakings,  it  had  a 
very  small  beginning.  A poor  woman,  a hopeless 
leper,  cast  out  by  her  family,  was  dying  slowly  and 
quite  alone  in  a deserted  shed,  when  Father  Testevuide 
discovered  her,  naked,  blind,  going  out  from  the  agony 
of  life  to  the  darkness  of  death.  The  priest  nursed 
and  tended  the  poor  creature,  did  all  he  could  to 
lighten  her  sufferings,  and  made  them  more  endurable 
by  the  hope  and  promise  of  a future  life  beyond  the 


DR.  BAELZ 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


181 


reach  of  pain.  He  tried  to  get  her  admitted  to  some 
hospital,  but  found  it  impossible ; there  was  no  place 
for  such  patients  as  that. 

Then  Father  Testevuide  asked  and  obtained  the 
Bishop’s  leave  to  devote  himself  to  the  work  of  found- 
ing a hospital  for  lepers.  A little  money  was  sent  to 
him  for  charity,  and  he  applied  it  to  this,  hiring  a small 
house  near  Gotemba,  a village  lying  on  the  lower  slopes 
of  Fugi  San.  All  sorts  of  difficulties  had  to  be  overcome. 
A course  of  treatment  for  the  patients  was  recommended 
by  Doctor  Goto,  who  was  most  kind  in  letting  the  Father 
have  what  remedies  he  needed  on  the  easiest  terms ; 
but  good  nourishing  food  was  a part  of  the  cure,  and 
the  cost  of  a patient’s  treat- 
ment could  not  be  brought 
lower  than  three  yen  (about  six 
shillings)  a month,  and  this 
seemed  to  be  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  income  on  which  the 
founder  could  count.  However, 
he  started,  taking  only  six  pa- 
tients, and  having  the  pain  of 
being  obliged  to  refuse  constant 
applications  for  admittance. 

Then  the  Gotemba  people  got 
frightened,  and  asked  him  to 
depart  from  their  coasts,  and 
take  his  sick  people  with  him.  It  seems  that  Father 
Testevuide’s  landlord  was  heavily  in  debt,  and  the  village 
elders  threatened  to  make  him  pay  up  unless  he  turned 


FATHER  TESTEVUIDE 


182 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


out  the  priest  and  the  lepers.  But  in  the  end  this  proved 
to  be  a good  thing;  for,  a little  more  money  coming 
into  his  hands,  the  Father  succeeded  in  buying  a small 
piece  of  land,  about  six  acres  in  all,  on  which  the  Hos- 
pital was  built.  The  situation  is  most  beautiful,  and 
the  air  divinely  pure.  The  spot  is  so  far  removed  from 
the  village  of  Gotemba,  that  there  is  no  question  of 
danger  to  any  of  the  inhabitants,  and  yet  it  is  suffi- 
ciently central  for  patients  to  be  easily  brought  there. 
A little  money  has  come  in  from  different  sources,  and 
has  been  spent  with  the  exquisite  care  which  I have 
always  noticed  in  the  work  of  holy  people.  Twelve 
hundred  dollars  (less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds) 
has  bought  the  land,  built  and  furnished  the  house,  and 
provided  for  the  requirements  of  the  patients  and 
employes  for  three  years  — and  paid  for  one  funeral! 
Some  of  those  treated  have  so  far  recovered  that  all 
external  signs  of  the  disease  have  been  arrested,  and 
they  are  able  to  go  out  and  earn  their  living.  The 
Fathers  say  that  they  themselves  do  not  yet  believe 
in  a completely  permanent  cure,  and  that  all  they 
can  say  to  their  convalescents  is,  Come  back  again 
for  treatment  the  moment  you  find  that  the  symptoms 
are  showing  themselves  afresh.” 

Of  course  the  ground  on  which  the  Hospital  stands 
is  made  to  yield  the  larger  part  of  the  food  for  the 
inmates ; and  those  who  are  strong  enough  to  do  so 
take  their  share  in  the  work  of  cultivation,  and  have 
the  joy  of’  feeling  that  they  help  to  maintain  them- 
selves. The  advanced  cases  are  kept  apart  from  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


183 


less  acute  ones ; and,  once  received,  no  one  is  sent 
away,  unless  he  or  she  is  temporarily  cured.  For  the 
hopeless  it  is  a home  where,  until  the  last  minute  of 


ON  THE  ROAD  TO  GOTEMBA 


life,  their  sufferings  will  be  alleviated  as  far  as  possible, 
and  their  hearts  cheered  by  kindness  and  the  hope  of 
a better  life.  No  questions  are  asked,  and  the  obstinate 
pagan  receives  just  as  much  care  and  tenderness  as 


184 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


the  born  Christian  or  the  convert ; but  of  course  the 
whole  atmosphere  is  warmly  Christian.  The  poor  souls 
for  whom  faith  is  pointing  to  brightness  and  peace 

when  death  shall  cure  them  for  good  and  all  — they 
are  eager  to  bring  new-comers  in  to  share  the  hope 
which  so  greatly  helps  to  lighten  present  suffering.  I 
am  sure  there  will  never  be  a despairing  death-bed 
in  the  Gotemba  Hospital. 

The  Fathers  say  that  they  have  found  ready  help 
among  Japanese  Christians  for  the  work  of  tending 

the  patients.  One  good  man,  whose  name  has  at 

his  own  request  been  kept  a secret,  has  shut  himself 
up  for  life  with  the  lepers,  on  condition  of  food  being 
found  for  his  family  which  he  supported  by  his  work. 
As  for  Father  Testevuide,  much  has  been  said  about 
his  heroism  and  goodness,  and  of  course  he  is  con- 

stantly compared  with  Father  Damien,  the  saint  of 
Molokai.  The  world  catches  at  the  name  of  one  good 
man,  and  extols  it  to  the  skies.'  AYe  'Catholics  are 
rather  surprised  at  the  noisy  enthusiasm,  for  \ve  expect 
these  things  from  our  missionary  priests.  When  dear 
Father  Testevuide  (whose  health  is  very  frail  from  all 
his  hard  work)  shall  be  called  home,  there  will  be  found 
many  others  ready  and  eager  to  step  into  his  place. 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  MAPLES  AT  LAST.  — THE  MAPLE  CLUB.  — A RECEPTION 
DAY  AT  THE  PALACE. — MANNERS,  EASTERN  AND  WEST- 
ERN. — ARTISTIC  CONFECTIONERY.  — THE  MAID  OF  HON- 
OUR’S DOLLS.  — CHRYSANTHEMUM  GARDENS.  — A UNIQUE 
SPECIMEN.  — FLOWER  GROUPS.  — FAMILY  LIFE  IN  THE 
LITTLE  HOMES.  — “A  PARTY  FOR  MAKING  TEA  IN  OLD 


HE  autumn  has  come  at  last,  and  the  maples  are 


all  on  fire.  Since  one  autumn,  when  I wandered 
through  the  New  Jersey  woods  as  a tiny  child,  I have 
never  seen  such  a gorgeous  explosion  of  colour,  such  a 
storm  of  scarlet  and  gold.  Since  the  spring  brought  the 
white  of  the  plum  blossom  and  the  rosy  glow  of  the 
cherry,  the  colour  has  been  deepening  on  the  cheek  of 
Nature,  and  has  flushed  out  strong  and  high  in  the  sun- 
set of  the  year.  All  the  gardens  are  mantled  in  wide 
panoplies  of  the  wonderful  foliage,  which  grows  in  a 
lovely  equable  way  on  the  branch,  each  star-shaped  leaf 
coming  well  to  the  surface  of  the  mass,  so  close  that  no 
space  between  it  and  its  neighbour  breaks  the  stretch  of 
colour,  but  also  well  spread  forth  to  the  light,  none 
crowded  out  of  the  honours  of  the  show.  I have  been 
to  one  temple  garden  after  another,  and  drive  almost 

185 


AGE 


Tokyo,  November,  1889. 


186 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


daily  to  Oji,  the  maple  village,  which  is  all  alive  with 
Japanese  holiday-makers. 

That  which  impresses  me  most  in  all  these  shows  is 
the  extraordinary  variety  of  the  specimens.  I believe 
.our  European  botanists  only  admit  some  twenty  species 
in  Japan  (America  boasts  nine  in  all) ; but  the  Japanese 
subdivide  these  again  and  again,  and  a maple  gardener 
told  me  that  he  knew  three  hundred  and  eighty  separate 
varieties.  Those  which  please  me  most  are,  I think, 
the  kind  which  grow  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high, 
with  leaves  in  five  or  seven  long  points,  exquisitely  cut, 
and  growing  like  strong  fingers  on  a young  hand.  They 
always  seem  to  be  pointing  to  something,  and  one 
involuntarily  looks  round  and  about  to  see  what  it  is. 
They  are  deep  red  in  colour  all  the  year  round,  and  are 
constantly  grouped  with  vivid  greens,  making  splendid 
masses  in  the  shrubberies. 

The  true  autumn  maples  are  quite  glorious  for  these 
few  days  during  which  they  last.  There  is  a lovely 
verse  describing  them  in  Chamberlain’s  book,  the  classical 
poetry  of  the  Japanese  : 

The  warp  is  hoar-frost  and  the  woof  is  dew, 

Too  frail,  alas  ! the  warp  and  woof  to  be ; 

For  scarce  the  woods  their  damask  robes  endue, 

When,  torn  and  soiled,  they  flutter  o’er  the  lea.”  j 

One  storm  will  rob  the  trees  of  their  splendours  till  next 
year.  This  beauty  is  their  death  ecstasy,  and  I think 
the  very  evanescence  of  its  loveliness  must  have  endeared 
the  maple  to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  It  has  come  to 
be  one  of  the  emblems  of  all  that  is  happy  and  gay  and 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


187 


fragile.  One  sees  its  star- 
like  outline  on  festive 
robes,  on  wine -cups,  in 
lacquer  and  in  carving. 
There  is  a kind  of  club 
restaurant  in  Tokyo  called 
the  Kwoyo  Kwan,”  or 
Maple  Club,  where  every- 
thing is  marked  with  the 
maple,  from  the  tea-cups 
and  the  carved  screens 
to  the  musume's  dresses. 
Everywhere  the  leaves 
seem  to  have  floated  and 
fallen,  and  all  this  honour 
is  only  on  account  of  their 
beauty,  for  they  do  not 
carry  the  symbolic  mean- 
ing of  the  pine,  the  bam- 
boo, and  the  plum  blossom, 
which  are  emblematic  of 
long  life,  strength,  and 
happiness,  and  are  con- 
stantly intertwined  in  dec- 
oration. 


MAPLES 


r~A  gift  is  often  called  a little  pine  needle  ” by  the 
giver,  and  there  is  a saying  that  even  a humble  pine 
needle  is  precious  if  it  is  given  from  the  heart.  The  dis- 
tinctive name  for  the  maple  is  momiji,  but  the  word 
kwoyo  is  applied  by  the  Japanese  to  all  leaves  which 


188 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


change  their  colour  in  the  autumn  (they  are  called 
flowers,  not  leaves,  then)  ; and  very  few  other  trees 
make  any  show  when  the  maples  are  flaunting  their 
gorgeous  banners  in  the  autumn  sunshine,  so  the  name  is 
used  chiefly  to  designate  them.  The  maple  is  a thing 
apart  from  daily  life,  and  yet  constantly  referred  to,  as  it 
were.  A favourite  subject  with  artists  is  the  fall  of  the 
leaf  on  running  water,  or  down  the  glassy  steeps  of 
waterfalls,  where  the  red  wings  swarm  and  float  like 
thousands  of  drowning  butterflie^ 

With  the  maples  have  come  the  chrysanthemums, 
the  Emperor’s  flowers,  chosen  for  the  crest  of  the  Impe- 
rial Household.  Everything  at  Court  is  marked  with 
the  round  gold  mark,  which  always  looks  to  me  more 
like  the  sun  than  any  flower.  All  the  communications 
from  the  Palace  come  on  chrysanthemum  paper,  all 
invitation  cards  have  it  heavily  embossed  in  gold,  the 
Court  carriages  carry  it  on  their  panels,  the  flunkies 
on  their  liveries. 

Thursday  is  the  reception  day  at  the  Palace,  and 
last  week  I went  to  call  on  the  grande  maitresse  and 
the  Empress’s  other  ladies,  who  all  receive  together  in 
a huge  crimson  drawing-room,  reached  through  laby- 
rinths of  the  glass  corridors  which  I described  to  you  on 
the  occasion  of  our  audience  in  May.  Relays  of  servants 
are  posted  along  the  way,  and  one  is  handed  over  from 
one  set  to  the  other,  till  one  reaches  a table  where  a 
secretary  sits  with  a big  book,  into  which  he  copies  the 
names  oh  the  cards  which  are  handed  to  him  by  our 
escort.  Two  or  three  Palace  officials  stand  round  the 


LETTERS  EKO.AE  JATAN^ 


189 


door  in  the  Household  imiform  ; but  there  are  never  any 
Japanese  gentlemen  in  the  drawing-room,  and  the 
element  is  so  feminine  that  European  men  are  rather 
shy  of  it,  and  none  of  onr  own  staff  will  ever  go  except 
under  my  protection.  The  little  ladies  are  so  bright  and 
sweet,  that  I prefer  these  visits  to  many  that  I have  to 
make  in  European  houses.  They  manage  very  well,  too, 
as  to  the  difficult  question  of  language,  so  that  one  need 
never  take  an  interpreter.  The  grande  maitresse,  Vis- 
countess Takakura,  is  a gentle  pale  woman,  always 
dressed  in  some  shade  of  pansy  or  mauve.  She  speaks 
no  foreign  language,  nor  does  Countess  Muromachi,  her 
next  in  command.  This  lady  is  a little  older  than  the 
others,  and  is  much  loved  and  respected  by  both  the 
Emperor  and  Empress,  who  are  said  often  to  take  her 
advice  on  important  matters.  She  wears  soft  dove- 
coloured  satins  as  a rule,  while  the  younger  women 
affect  pale  blues,  water-greens,  and  rosy  greys.  Black 
is  not  worn  at  the  Palace,  except  during  a Court 
mourning. 

It  is  these  younger  ladies  who  do  the  interpreting 
for  the  others.  Two,  Miss  Kitajima  and  Miss  Kagawa, 
have  travelled  a good  deal,  and  speak  English  fluently. 
Another,  a charming  girl,  with  almost  a European 
type  of  beauty,  has  been  in  France,  and  talks  French 
well ; and  yet  another  can  speak  some  German.  So 
no  one  need  be  tongue-tied  on  these  occasions.  It 
has  sometimes  happened  to  me  to  wish  that  the 
Japanese  ladies  understood  less  than  I imagine  they 
do  of  foreign  languages ; for  some  of  our  colleagues’ 


190 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAX 


wives  affect  an  almost  brutal  rudeness  towards  them, 
speaking  of  them  in  their  presence  with  sublime 
contempt,  and  complaining  loudly  of  an  official  visit, 
which  perhaps  has  broken  up  a more  amusing  con- 
versation. When,  horror-struck,  I have  expostulated, 
the  reply  has  been,  Bah,  elles  n’y  comprennent  rien ! ” 
I was  paying  a visit  at  one  of  the  Legations,  when 

a Japanese  great  lady.  Princess  S , was  announced, 

and  immediately  followed  the  servant  who  announced 
her.  It  was  my  hostess’s  reception  day,  and  she 
should  have  had  a competent  interpreter  at  hand, 
as  we  are  all  supposed  to  do  on  these  occasions. 
Therefore  the  Princess,  although  she  can  speak  no 
foreign  tongue,  had  not  brought  one  with  her.  As 
she  entered  the  room  our  hostess  threw  her  arms  in 
the  air  with  an  expression  of  despair,  and  exclaimed 
(I  had  better  not  say  in  what  language),  Good 
Heavens,  what  am  I to  do  with  this  creature ! What 
an  odious  bore ! Where  is  So-and-so  (the  interpreter)  ? 
Somebody  run  and  find  him  ! Could  anything  be 
more  tiresome  ? ” All  this  was  said  at  the  top  of  her 
voice,  with  gestures  which  must  have  made  the  meaning 
only  too  clear  to  the  dignified  woman  who  was  thus 
outrageously  received.  I did  what  very  little  could  be 

done  to  save  the  situation ; and  Princess  S , like  the 

true  lady  she  is,  pretended  not  to  understand  it  for 
the  few  minutes  during  which  she  remained.  I fled 
when  she  said  what  I fancy  will  be  a long  good-bye 
to  our  hostess,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I 
blushed  at  being  a European. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


191 


[ I met  this  adornment  of  diplomacy  coming  away 
Vas  I was  advancing  along  the  Palace  corridor  on 
^ Thursday,  and  did  not  get  past  her  without  having 
to  hear  some  noisy  criticisms  on  the  manners  of  the 
women  she  had  just  left,  and  who,  by  the  way,  have 
loaded  her  with 
kindness.  Man- 
ners ! If  they  were 
— as  in  a measure 
they  may  be  — the 
passport  to  heaven, 
the  Japanese  women 
would  certainly  have 
reserved  places,  and 
many  a smart  ” 

European  would 
have  to  take  a back 
seat.  Kindness  and 
modesty,  a wakeful, 
real  consideration 
for  the  feelings  of 
others  — surely  these 

MAPLE  LEAVES 

make  up  for  a little 

unwilling  ignorance  of  the  higher  subjects  which  most 
interest  us,  and  which,  to  tell  the  truth,  are  hardly 
better  known  to  the  smart”  European  with  her  social 
preoccupations  and  her  rattle  of  chaff,”  than  they  are 
to  the  little  hothouse  ladies  of  the  PalaceJ 

But  this  is  digression,  and  I wanted  to  tell  you  how 
amused  I was  to  find  that  all  the  sweetmeats  of  these 


192 


LETTEIIS  EKOM  JAPAN 


Household  tea  parties  must  represent  nothing  but  the 
flowers  and  fruits  and  leaves  in  season.  On  Thursday 
last  the  cake  plates  were  filled  with  every  variety  of 
maple  leaf,  made  in  sugar  and  variously  flavoured,  but 
so  perfectly  moulded  and  coloured  that  it  would  be 
difficult  to  detect  the  imitation  from  the  real  leaf. 
Large  and  small,  pale  pink,  deep  crimson,  green  and 
orange,  with  three  leaves,  or  five,  or  seven,  they  were 
piled  on  the  delicate  china  in  such  artistic  fashion  that 
I could  not  refrain  from  an  exclamation  of  pleasure 
when  they  were  offered  to  me.  With  them  were  autumn 
grasses  and  tiny  wild  chrysanthemums,  just  the  handful 
of  loot  that  a nature  lover  would  bring  back  from  a 
walk  in  the  woods. 

The  maids  of  honour  laughed  merrily  at  my  sur- 
prise, and  told  me  that  the  Empress  will  only  eat  the 
most  airy  of  these  delicate  sweets ; so  that  the  Court 
confectioner  has  come  to  be  a great  artist  at  produc- 
ing them.  Then  nothing  would  do  but  that  I must 
take  some  home  with  me ; and  in  spite  of  my  protest, 
a sheet  of  Palace  paper  (thickly  crinkled,  and  heavy 
as  watered  silk)  was  fetched,  and  a large  assortment 
of  the  bonbons  was  picked  out  by  half  a dozen  dainty 
hands,  wrapped  up,  and  confided  to  a servant  to  be  put 
in  my  carriage. 

One  day  in  October,  after  I came  back  from  Miyano- 
shita,  I thought  I would  go  and  see  one  of  these  ladies, 
although  the  regular  reception  days  wmuld  not  begin  till 
after  the  Emperor’s  birthday,  November  3rd.  I went 
alone,  and  asked  for  Miss  Kitajima  Itoko,  with  whom  I 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


193 


had  made  friends  before  we  all  broke  up  for  the  summer. 
The  servant  took  my  card,  and  was  away  a long  time, 
wdiile  I sat  in  the  carriage,  waiting  to  know  whether  the 
lady  was  at  home.  At  last  he  returned,  and  invited  me 
to  enter  ; and  I followed,  thinking  to  be  received  in  the 
Rsual  red  drawing-room.  But  the  man  beckoned  me  past 
its  closed  doors,  and  I followed  him  on  and  on,  through 
corridors  and  across  courtyards^,  and  finally  up  a long 
flight  of  rather  narrow  stairs,  which  I was  surprised  to 
see,  as  the  Palace  possesses  no  visible  upper  story.  Here 
I was  shown  into  a small  sitting-room,  papered  in  pale 
blue,  inhabited  by  an  — army  of  dolls!  No  other  word 
will  describe  the  collection,  ranged  all  round  the  walls  in 
glass  cases  which  stood  out  quite  a yard  into  the  room, 
and  ran  up  some  eight  or  nine  feet  in  height.  A crim- 
son carpet,  a few  black-wood  chairs,  a window  shut  in 
with  paper  screens  like  those  in  an  ordinary  Japanese 
house  — that  was  all  that  the  room  contained,  except  the 
dolls ; and  they  were  so  amazing  that  I hoped  I should  be 
left  alone  with  them  for  a long  time.  Many  of  these 
weird  creatures  were  life  size,  and  so  real  that  I felt  as  if 
I must  have  got  into  some  corner  of  the  Palace  which 
was  sleeping  a charmed  sleep  through  these  times  of 
change  and  trouble.  There  were  tall  Daimyos,  with 
impassive  masks,  dressed  in  stiff  white  robes  like  cere- 
cloths. Their  fine  bluish  fingers  seemed  to  be  pointing  at 
me  in  scorn  ; their  black  eyes  gleamed  in  the  subdued 
light;  and  their  black  hair  seemed  to  bristle  under  the 
strange  conical  caps,  blacker  even  than  the  hair,  and  tied 
under  their  chins  with  forbidding  black  bands.  Beside 


VOL.  I 


o 


194 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


them  were  lovely  women  (I  cannot  help  speaking  as  if 
they  were  living  creatures),  in  poses  light  and  dreamy  as 
the  swaying  of  the  lotus  stems  moved  by  water.  Their 
faces  were  pale  and  sweet,  and  there  was  a kind  of 
tragic  grace  in  the  bent  heads,  the  slender,  submissive 
hands  held  out  in  supplication  towards  their  lords.  One 
or  two  were  kneeling,  one  lying  down,  all  in  robes  stiff 
with  gold  and  brilliant  in  colour.  Among  these  life- 
sized  images  were  crowds  of  smaller  ones,  some  gor- 
geously dressed,  some  simple  old  dolls  such  as  any  child 
would  love.  A few  European  dolls,  horrible  mechanical 
gimcracks  in  tarnished  finery,  were  given  places  of 
honour  among  the  nobles  and  princesses,  who  seemed 
too  sad  to  resent  the  elbowing  of  the  parvenus  from 
over  the  water.  The  room  itself  was  still  as  death, 
and  I was  all  alone  with  the  silent  inhabitants,  enclosed 
as  in  a glass  tomb ; while  outside,  the  ripple  and  murmur 
of  life  hummed  through  the  great  Palace : voices  of 
children  at  play  came  close  to  me,  on  which  side  I 
could  not  tell,  and  then  tinkled  away  in  the  distance. 
A koto  was  being  played  in  one  of  the  near  rooms ; 
there  were  outbursts  of  girlish  laughter,  as  sweet  and 
full  as  the  songs  of  mountain  larks,  which  came  and 
went  with  a patter  of  sandals  and  brushing  of  drapery 
along  the  corridors ; and  across  my  paper  screen  (which 
opened  to  some  balcony  flooded  with  sunshine)  shadowy 
forms  came  and  went,  a young  head  beautifully  dressed, 
a branch  of  leaves,  or  the  outline  of  a delicate  hand 
was  laid  for  a moment  on  the  paper.  All  the  place 
seemed  busy  and  warm  as  a hive  of  bees  in  the  sun  — 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


195 


all  but  the  silent  heart  of  it  where  I sat  gazing  at  the 
portrait-images  of  long-dead  men  and  women. 

Then  the  slide  opened,  and  Miss  Kitaj ima,  in  a 
tightly  fitting  European  gown,  came  in,  and  the  atmos- 
phere of  romance  shrivelled  up,  and  left  me  rather 
cold  in  the  light  of  the  Jin-de-siecle  day.  I asked,  of 
course,  about  the  dolls ; but  my  friend  was  not  communi- 
cative, and  seemed  a little  ashamed  of  them.  They 
are  dolls, . foolish  things,”  she  said;  and  at  once  turned 
the  conversation  to  some  other  subject.  And  I came 
away  disappointed  and  puzzled,  as  this  is  not  the  time 
of  year  for  the  dolls’  festival,  which  takes  place  in  March, 
on  the  third  day  of  the  third  month.” 

The  Emperor  has  been  ill,  so  there  is  to  be  no  garden 
party  at  the  Asakusa  Palace,  and  I shall  not  see  the 
Imperial  chrysanthemum  show  this  year.  I am  sorry ; 
but  I believe  some  of  the  public  exhibitions  are  nearly 
as  good,  and  these  I have  been  visiting  carefully.  As 
far  as  the  beauty  of  the  flowers  themselves  is  concerned, 
I give  the  palm  to  those  which  develope  naturally  and 
make  masses  of  bloom  growing  in  their  own  charac- 
teristic way,  as  they  are  allowed  to  do  in  Europe.  But 
for  masterly  cultivation,  for  the  triumph  of  human  laws 
over  those  of  nature,  for  results  which  look  as  if  they 
could  only  have  been  wrought  by  magic,  the  Japanese 
gardeners  certainly  take  the  palm. 

The  chief  place  for  chrysanthemum  gardens  is  a 
village  or  rather  a suburb  of  Tokyo,  called  Dango-Zaka. 
To  reach  it  one  drives  through  miles  of  quiet  ways, 
bordered  with  gardens  of  every  kind,  whose  low  bam- 


196 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


boo  fences  with  their  tyings  of  black  string  make  a 
pretty  hedging  to  the  brown  road,  all  flecked  with 
sunshine  through  the  overarching  boughs,  which  are  get- 
ting thin  in  these  autumn  days.  In  the  village,  and 
indeed  long  before  you  reach  it,  every  gate  leads  into 
a garden,  where,  by  paying  two  sen,  you  may  walk 
about  and  look  at  group  after  group  of  historical  or 

mythological  figures  — all 
made  out  of  chrysanthe- 
mums ! Here,  at  the  turn 
of  a path,  is  a shed  built 
in  pretty  white  wood,  open 
in  front,  and  lined,  sides 
and  ceiling  and  floor,  with 
a pattern  resembling  old 
damask,  all  worked  in  liv- 
ing flowers,  which,  having 
been  put  in  place  with 
their  roots  behind  them, 
bloom  and  flourish  happily 
for  weeks  in  these  unnatu- 
ral positions,  refreshed  by 

THE  GOD  OF  LIGHTNING  ^ 

an  occasional  spraying  of 
water.  On  a raised  bridge  inside  the  shed  is  a group 
representing  a scene  in  Japanese  mediaeval  history,  in 
which  the  hero  Yoshitsune  has  a fierce  duel  with  the 
strong  man,  Benkei.  The  masks  and  hands  of  the 
figures  are  in  carved  and  painted  wood,  the  expression 
of  the  faces  is  brilliant,  fierce,  and  lifelike,  and  the 
hands  are  beautifully  fine  and  true.  The  costumes  of 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


197 


the  warriors  are  all  made  in  growing  chrysanthemums, 
every  detail  of  the  armour  being  recognisable.  The  rail- 
ings of  the  bridge  are  also  made  of  flowers.  For  this 
kind  of  living  embroidery  only  the  small-flowering  chrys- 
anthemum is  used,  its  thick  masses  of  white  or  red  or 
yellow  lending  themselves  kindly  to  these  strange  uses. 

^ But  the  gardens  are  not  without  beautiful  specimens 
. ^of  single  plants.  One  of  these  was  trained  in  the  shape 
of  an  umbrella,  the  single  stem  rising  straight  for  about 
six  feet  from  the  ground,  and  being  of  the  same  thick- 
ness from  top  to  bottom.  At  the  top  a number  of  shoots, 
starting  with  perfect  regularity  from  the  same  j)oint,  fell 
downwards,  forming  a dome  of  about  three  feet  in 
diameter.  It  was  edged  by  a fringe  of  pale-pink 
chrysanthemums  in  full  bloom,  each  hanging  from  the 
end  of  a shoot ; three  inches  farther  up  was  a perfect 
ring  of  blossoms  slightly  less  opened,  all  arrested  at  the 
same  point  of  development ; three  inches  farther  up, 

another  ring  of  just  opened  buds ; and  close  to  the 
stick,  a small  circle  of  green  balls,  buds  which  showed 
no  sign  of  colour.  Apart  from  its  uncanny  artificiality, 
the  thing  was  beautiful,  and  probably  represented  the 
patient  labour  of  several  years. 

The  crowd  of  Japanese  sight-seers  seemed  more 

inclined  to  stare  at  us  than  at  heroes  or  chrysanthe- 
mum umbrellas,  and  followed  us  as  we  went  on  to  the 
other  pictures,  which  Ogita  explained  to  me  in  his 

quaint  way.  Under  one  shed  was  a little  pond,  which 
was  supposed  to  represent  a stormy  ocean,  out  of 

which  a fearful  bogy,  with  horns  and  tusks  and  red 


198 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


hair  hanging  down  to  his  knees,  had  risen  with  a 
pitchfork  to  frighten  some  quiet  travellers  who  were 
crossing  the  sea  in  the  lightest  of  skiffs  — all  made  of 
flowers,  of  course.  The  passengers  represented  Yoshit- 
sune  and  some  of  his  adherents  trying  to  reach  the 
shore,  and  kept  back  by  a fearful  storm  roused  by  the 
ghost  of  an  enemy  whom  he  had  killed  in . war.  He 
had  taken  the  precaution  to  bring  a holy  exorcist  with 
him ; and  this  figure,  with  a long  white  beard  and  venera- 
ble countenance,  was  standing  up  in  the  boat,  regardless 
of  balance,  praying  that  the  demon  might  be  overcome. 

In  another  picture  a faithful  wife  has  thrown  herself 
between  her  sleeping  husband  and  the  sword  of  an 
enemy,  who  is  stabbing  him  from  behind  a paper  screen. 
The  masks  of  the  women  are  far  less  artistic  than  those 
of  the  men  in  these  groups,  denoting  subtly  the  Japan- 
ese ideals  of  male  and  female  beauty.  A man  should 
have  a fierce,  strong  expression,  and  many  masks  over- 
step all  the  limits  of  art  and  show  the  most  grotesque 
contortions  of  rage  and  hate ; but  the  female  faces  are 
absolutely  smooth  and  expressionless,  even  when  rep- 
resented in  the  most  exciting  circumstances.  The  only 
sign  of  tragedy  is  the  absence  of  the  smile  which  a 
Japanese  woman  is  supposed  always  to  wear  for  her 
family  and  friends.  She  may  cease  to  smile  in  heavy 
grief,  but  no  spasm  of  pain  or  anxiety  must  appear  on 
the  fair  face  with  its  downcast  eyes;  the  countenance 
must  be  unlined  by  the  invisible  harrow  of  thought, 
unstained  by  tears,  unthrilled  by  emotion.  If  I painted 
a sphynx,  I should  be  strongly  tempted  to  make  her 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


199 


and  in  it  were  seated  some  of  the  cheeriest-looking 
divinities  I ever  saw  — the  six  gods  of  riches.  On  the 
prow  was  Benten  Sama,  the  beautiful  benevolent  god- 
dess who  has  eight  arms,  so  that  she  can  help  on  sea 
as  well  as  on  land,  and  give  precious  gifts  to  men  accord- 
ing to  their  capacity  for  receiving  them.  Her  compan- 
ions are  broad-faced  smiling  personages,  Dai-Koku  of 
the  big  ears  and  the  rice-bags,  the  white-bearded,  peach- 


face  that  of  an  ideal  Japanese  woman.  No  stone  mask 
could  be  more  impenetrable. 

But  I must  describe  to  you  the  finest  of  the  show 
pieces  which  I saw  at  Dango-Zaka,  and  of  which  I have 
obtained  a photograph  from  a friend.  This  was  an 
enormous  ship,  the  ship  of  happiness,  as  Ogita  explained ; 


THE  SHIP  OF  HAPPINESS 


200 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


shaped  god  of  old  age  (a  very  old  accpiaintance  of  mine 
in  Peking),  and  others  whose  faces  are  less  familiar  to 
me.  Everywhere  the  work  is  the  same,  a fine  patient 
flower  mosaic  built  into  great  lines  and  bold  shapes. 
One,  a god  of  lightning,  I think,  was  really  full  of 
splendid  go  ” and  vitality.  The  contrast  between  the 
violent  distortions  of  the  masks  and  the  calm  impassive 
faces  of  the  people  who  come  to  gaze  at  them  is  rather 
curious.  fof  course  all  the  little  gardens  are  crowded 
with  visitors,  chiefly  of  the  middle  and  lower  classes. 
How  people  who  have  to  earn  their  living  can  find 
time  for  all  this  holiday-making  is  a puzzling  question. 
Perhaps  one  answer  to  it  is  that,  with  few  exceptions, 
shop  life  is  family  life.  No  one  is  bound  to  work  so 
many  hours  a day.  The  staff  consists  of  the  family, 
with  perhaps  an  apprentice  or  two ; and  if  the  tailoring, 
or  fan-making,  or  mat-weaving  tasks  have  not  been 
accomplished  in  the  day,  the  whole  family  will  sit 
round  the  one  lamp  at  night  and  make  up  for  lost  time. 
Now  that  the  days  are  drawing  in,  it  is  one  of  my 
great  pleasures  to  drive  home  after  night  has  fallen 
on  the  city.  Then  the  little  interiors  are  lighted  up, 
and  yet  left  open  to  the  street,  because  the  autumn 
days  are  mild  still,  and  because  the  Japanese  kitchen, 
consisting  as  it  does  of  a hole  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  where  the  fire  crackles  and  smokes  gaily,  makes 
it  convenient  to  leave  the  screens  open  as  long  as 
possible.  I am  often  out  rather  late  (you  know  the 
confidential  moment  at  the  end  of  a friend’s  reception 
day,  when  the  outsiders  have  all  gone  and  the  intimates 


THE  EVENING  3IEAL 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


203 


really  begin  to  talk !),  and  as  I come  home  there  is  a 
little  bustle  of  preparation  for  the  evening  meal  going 
on  in  almost  every  home.  Here  the  family  of  some 
prosperous  tradesman  is  getting  round  the  liibaclii.  The 
old  grandmother  mends  the  fire,  glad  of  an  excuse  to 
be  so  near  the  flame.  The  mother,  young  and  smiling, 
waits  on  her  husband ; while  the  family  idol,  the  only 
child  probably,  laughs  and  chatters,  and  insists  on  being 
served  first,  much  to  the  father’s  amusement.  The 
children  rule  everything  in  the  little  homes  — and  are 
not  a bit  spoilt.  When  they  come  to  what  is  considered 
the  age  of  reason  (anywhere  between  six  and  ten),  they 
abdicate  their  sovereignty  of  their  own  accord,  and 
seem  to  grow  up  in  a day ; for  they  at  once  begin  to 
take  their  share  of  the  family  work,  and  smile  indul- 
gently, just  as  their  elders  do,  at  the  baby  ways  and 
make-believe  tempers  of  their  successors  on  the  throne. 
^ Sometimes  there  are  no  children,  and  one  sees  a 
-pale  woman  resolutely  turning  her  head  from  the  sight 
of  the  little  ones  over  the  way.  She  must  have  lost 
a child,  and  that  little  plate  of  dainties  that  she  is  put- 
ting aside  — tiny  morsels  of  fish  and  daikon  and  rice  — 
will  be  placed  before  the  wooden  tablet  which  bears  the 
little  one’s  dead  name  — the  name  given  at  birth  is  left 
here  with  the  worn-out  garments,  the  tiny  ravelled 
sandals,  and  the  broken  toys ; and  the  soul,  new  born 
to  another  phase  of  immortality,  is  given  a new  name 
at  its  passing,  that  by  which  it  came  and  went  in  this 
world  finding  its  fitting  grave  in  the  silence  of  the 
mother’s  heart. 


204  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 

Almost  sadder  is  the  glimpse  of  two  old  folk,  grey 
and  faithful,  sitting  beside  a fire  whence  all  the  children 
have  gone;  the  old  woman  nursing  a cat  in  a solemn 
frilled  collar,  and  the  old  man  smoking  as  he  stares  at 
the  flame.  Or  it  may  be  that  he  is  one  who,  left  alone 
in  his  old  age,  looked  round  among  his  friends  and 
acquaintances  till  he  found  and  married  a Avidow  as 
lonely  as  himself,  glad  to  cheer  his  and  her  OAvn  declining 
years  by  the  kindly  companionship  which  the  Japanese 
call,  A party  for  making  tea  in  old  age!  ” I see  many 
such  pictures  of  humble  married  faithfulness,  as  I pass 
in  the  darkness  of  the  street  — many  little  homes  so 
poor  that  thieves  would  find  nothing  there  to  steal,  and 
yet  whose  indAvellers  seem  very  rich  in  peace  and  kind- 
liness. Truly  the  best  things  in  the  Avorld  have  no 
market  and  no  price. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  EMPRESS-DOWAGER  AND  HER  MUSHROOM-HUNTING. — 
MUSHROOM  PICNICS  ON  INARI-YAMA. — THE  TOSA  MON- 
KEYS.— THE  PRINCE  IMPERIAL  AND  THE  CEREMONY 
CALLED  RITTAISHI.  — A SWORD  OF  STATE.  — COUNT 
YAMAGATA.  — PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS  SANJO.  — THE  FIVE 
REGENT  FAMILIES 


WAS  much  amused  a little  while  ago  to  hear  that 


the  Empress-Dowager  was  leaving  Tokyo,  and  tak- 
ing a journey  of  several  hours’  duration,  so  as  to  enjoy 
some  good  — mushroom-hunting  ! The  Empress-Dowager 
does  not  show  herself  in  public,  and  is,  I believe,  an 
ardent  adherent  of  the  old  modes  of  life  and  thought 
in  Japan.  I cannot  find  any  foreigner  Avho  has  seen 
more  than  the  outside  of  her  norimono,  or  closed  palan- 
quin ; I know  her  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies,  and  one 
or  two  Japanese  who  belong  to  her  especial  Court, 
and  they  wear  an  habitual  expression  of  disapproving 
reserve,  of  patient  deprecation,  which  has  the  effect  of 
a dumb  j)rotest  against  changes  of  any  sort,  and  more 
especially  against  the  admission  of  the  stiiltus  vulgus, 
the  profane  foreigner,  into  the  sacred  precincts  of  Jap- 
anese life.  Perhaps  they  are  chosen  for  their  dignified 
offices  because  their  peculiar  views  harmonise  with  those 


Tokyo,  November , 1889. 


205 


206 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


of  the  royal  lady ; perhaps  they  have  imbibed  them 
through  intercourse  with  her,  for  I have  often  noticed 
that  the  opinions  of  great  personages  are  extremely  con- 
tagious. Be  that  as  it  may,  a high  wall  of  conservative 
precedent  is  built  round  the  Empress-Dowager;  and  when 
one  expresses  a desire  to  see  her,  one  is  met  by  a mourn- 
ful shake  of  the  head  and  dead  silence,  as  if  to  mark 
the  hopeless  temerity  of  the  wish.  She  must  be  kind 
and  benevolent ; for  when  we  had  our  charity  concert 
for  the  Leper  Hospital  and  the  new  chapel,  she  took 
thirty  tickets,  and  a message  came  with  the  contribution 
to  the  effect  that  her  Majesty  was  much  interested  to 
hear  of  the  Leper  Hospital,  and  wished  it  all  success. 

^ Having  grown  accustomed  to  the  idea  of  an  elderly 
lady  living  in  absolute  retirement,  I was  rather  amused 
at  the  thought  of  her  running  about  the  slopes  of  Kana- 
yama  hunting  for  mushrooms ; but  I find,  on  looking 
into  the  matter,  that  this  has  always  been  considered 
as  a kind  of  artistic  sport,  especially  near  Kyoto,  where 
the  fruit  (or  is  it  flower?)  grows  in  great  abundance. 
The  following  account  of  mushroom  parties  comes  from 
the  kind  Japanese  friend  who  has  answered  so  many 
of  my  tiresome  questions.  It  seems  that  there  are 
many  kinds  of  edible  mushrooms  in  Japan : the  lii-take^ 
which  grows  on  decayed  oak  trees ; the  kikurage  (literally 
wooden  mollusc”),  found  on  mulberry  trees;  the  sho-ro 
(dew  of  the  pine),  which  can  only  live  on  the  sand  of  pine 
woods  close  to  the  sea.  But  in  the  hunting  parties  only 
one  specimen  is  sought  after,  the  matsu-take,  which,  as 
its  name  implies,  grows  among  the  splendid  pine  trees 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


207 


of  the  hills.  The  matsu-take  has  a strong  pungent  fla- 
vour ; and  the  soil  of  some  of  the  pine  woods  is  so  richly 
impregnated  with  the  spawn,  that  a little  of  it  put  down 
in  woods  where  no  mushrooms  grow  will  at  once  render 
the  ground  abundantly  fruitful.  Inari-Yarna,  the  moun- 
tain of  the  fox-god,  near  Kyoto,  yields  wonderful  harvests 
of  matsu-take ; and  there  the  little  foxes  are  the  worst 
enemies  of  the  dainty  weed.  J 

The  time  for  mushroom  parties  is  the  autumn,  when 
the  summer  heats  are  over,  and  what  the  Japanese 
call  the  ko  haru,  or  lesser  spring,  hangs  over  the  land 
for  a few  weeks.  Then  the  rains  have  ceased,  the 
mornings  are  gloriously  fresh,  the  lengthening  nights 
chilly;  but  the  sun  is  still  strong  in  the  day,  and  the 
sky  clear  and  blue.  ' Then  the  pleasure-loving  people 
of  Kyoto  say  one  to  another,  Let  us  go  out  and 
behold  the  autumn  woods,  which  are  beautiful  as  ripe 
and  healthy  age.  Let  us  walk  on  pine  needles  and 
quote  poetry,  and  let  us  also  gather  and  roast  the 
matsu-take^  for  its  time  has  come.” 

So  a party  is  made  up,  men  and  women  agree  to 
leave  all  cares  behind  for  a day,  and  in  the  freshness 
of  the  autumn  morning  they  start  for  the  pine  woods 
of  the  hills.  First  come  the  men,  walking  all  together, 
dressed  with  extreme  care,  for  mushroom-hunting  has 
a prescribed  costume,  and  must  be  as  rigorously  correct 
as  if  one  were  going  to  court.  A distinctive  feature 
of  the  men’s  dress  is  the  wearing  of  tight-fitting  green 
silk  leggings,  or  patclii,  which  are  freely  displayed  when 
the  upper  robe  is  pulled  high  through  the  girdle  to 


208 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


leave  the  limbs  free.  The  women  follow  the  men,  in 
a group  by  themselves,  in  costumes  of  which  every 
detail  is  carefully  in  accordance  with  the  proper  tradi- 
tions. Their  gaiters  are  of  white  silk,  joining  the  tabi^ 
or  sock,  just  above  the  ankle ; the  girls  wear  narrow 

underskirts  of  pure  scarlet,  the 
married  women  embroidered  ones 
of  white  or  purple  silk,  and  these 
flutter  like  anemones  when  the 
kimono  is  kilted  through  the  ohi 
for  freer  movement.  The  little 
ladies’  hair  is  elaborately  dressed, 
but  is  covered  now  with  a tiny 
white  towel,  tenuguiy  carefully 
folded,  which  keeps  the  dust  from 
dimming  the  lustrous  surface,  or 
the  pine  boughs  from  catching 
in  the  coils.  Behind  the  women 
come  the  servants,  carrying 
hento,  or  food  boxes,  and  gourds, 
beautiful  polished  things,  often 
highly  carved,  full  of  sake  to 
refresh  the  seekers  after  their 
labour.  Gourds  and  boxes  are, 
of  course,  slung  on  the  ever-present  bamboo.  Everybody 
laughs  and  talks,  the  clever  ones  exchange  quotations, 
and  elaborate  puns,  to  which  the  intricacies  of  the  lan- 
guage readily  lend  themselves.  On  they  go,  through 
the  solemn  woods,  till  they  have  reached  a spot,  shel- 
tered, dry,  thickly  carpeted  with  pine  needles,  which 


LETTERS  FROM  JAFA^ 


209 


will  answer  as  a dining-liall.  Here  the  servants  are 
left  to  prepare  things,  and  the  party  break  up  and 
go  off  in  many  directions  after  the  object  of  the 
day.  Some  go  alone,  some  in  twos  (for  human  nature 
must  be  allowed  its  preferences  even  on  Inari-Yama), 
and  every  one  hopes  to  bring  back  a notable  harvest 
to  add  to  the  general  store.  The  dainty  things  grow 
quite  hidden  under  the  carpet  of  pine  needles ; so 
these  have  to  be  pushed  aside  in  the  search,  and  then 
the  strong  sweet  odour  of  the  brown  earth  comes 
floating  up  on  the  warm  air.  Little  Angers  get  sadly 
stained  in  this  digging  process ; but  nobody  cares  as  long 
as  the  basket  is  Ailed.  It  must  be  a pretty  sight  to 
see  the  bright-coloured  garments  waving  in  the  breeze 
or  catching  on  boughs,  as  the  girls  dart  to  and  fro  like 
the  butterflies  of  which  some  of  their  own  poets  write  — 
the  butterflies  who  come  in  the  early  summer  to  seek 
in  the  deep  green  j)laces  for  the  l^st  red  blooms  of 
spring.”  Some  of  the  girls  do  not  take  baskets,  but 
string  the  mushrooms  one  by  one  on  a brown  pine 
needle,  whose  ends  are  joined  into  a ring,  and  slipped 
over  their  fingers  till  the  small  hands  can  carry  no  more. 

Then  little  by  little  they  all  come  back  to  the  trysting-  ■ 
place,  where  the  servants,  while  waiting,  have  gathered 
pine  twigs  and  needles  together  to  make  the  fire  over 
which  the  mushrooms  must  be  cooked.  Sake  and  rice 
and  other  food  is  provided ; and  I know  without  being 
told  that  the  dishes  will  be  ornamented  with  pine  twigs 
and  needles  too.  The  seekers  come  in  with  their  spoils, 
and  those  who  have  gathered  much  are  congratulated. 


VOL.  I 


P 


210 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


while  those  who  have  made  a poor  harvest  apologise  in 
mock  humility  for  their  stupidity  and  awkwardness, 
which  render  them  unworthy  to  be  members  of  such  a 
distinguished  party.  Then  begins  the  business  of  roast- 
ing the  mushrooms,  in  which  everybody  helps ; and  great 
enthusiasm  is  shown  over  the  delicious  odour  they  give 
out.  ‘^li  nioi!  li  nioi  de  gozaimasu ! ” (Good  smell! 
Honourably  good  odour  1)  exclaim  the  ladies,  as  they 
deftly  peel  the  outer  skin  off  the  toasted  fruit,  which  is 
then  shred  into  small  pieces,  flavoured  with  slioyu  (soy) 
and  vinegar,  and  eaten  with  ohasJii^  the  honourable 
chopsticks.  People  are  hungry,  for  the  autumn  air  is 
keen  in  the  brown  woods ; so  they  declare  there  is  noth- 
ing in  the  world  so  delicious  as  a mushroom  toasted  over 
a pine  fire.  When  they  are  satisfied,  the  larger  part  of 
the  ^Hake  ” is  carefully  packed  away  in  baskets,  or 
furoshiki  (crape  wrappers,  in  which  every  kind  of  thing 
may  be  carried),  to  take  home  to  relations  and  friends. 

If  a storm  comes  on  in  the  night  preceding  a mush- 
room party,  the  expedition  must  be  put  off ; for  the 
thunder  (so  say  the  Japanese)  destroys  the  matsu-take, 
and  after  a thunderstorm  hardly  one  will  be  found. 
My  friend  suggests  laughingly  that  the  thunder-god, 
Raijin,  comes  and  picks  them  all  for  himself ; but  this 
explanation  does  not  quite  seem  to  cover  the  case. 

In  one  province,  Tosa,  whole  trees  are  cut  down 
expressly  to  make  a bed  for  the  mushroom  called 
sliitake,  which  will  only  grow  on  the  bark  of  oak  trees; 
and  when  these  are  sufficiently  rotten  to  produce  the 
fungi,  a keeper  is  put  in  charge  to  see  that  the  precious 


MUSHR003I  PICNIC 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


213 


things  are  not  stolen,  and  that  the  monkeys  do  not 
carry  them  all  away.  The  Tosa  oak  woods  are  full  of 
monkeys,  who  feed  on  the  ki-no-ko  (the  child  of  the 
wood,”  as  all  fungi  are  called  in  that  part  of  Japan) 
greedily  and  destructively.  If  a keeper  surprises  these 
marauders  at  their  feast,  they  turn  in 
rage,  and  tear  to  pieces  all  the  mush- 
rooms they  can  reach  before  they 
finally  make  their  escape,  chattering 
angrily  among  the  pine  trunks. 

I am  no  longer  surprised  to  hear 
that  the  Empress-Dowager  has  gone 
mushroom-hunting,  and  I wish  I had 
been  asked  to  join  the  party  ! 

Prince  Haru  has  been  solemnly 
installed  as  heir-apparent,  having  com- 
pleted his  tenth  year  on  September  6th.  The  Itittaishi, 
as  this  ceremony  is  called,  was  ofi  until  the  birth- 
day of  the  Emperor,  November  3rd,  and  was  then 
carried  out  in  the  Palace  according  to  the  old  custom. 
It  seems  that  it  is  not  enough  to  be  born  heir  to 
the  throne  in  Japan.  The  young  Prince  must  be 
officially  recognised  by  his  father,  and  presented  to  the 
nation  as  such.  The  reason  of  this,  I imagine,  may 
be  found  in  the  fact  that  until  our  own  times  it  was 
not  a matter  of  course  that  a man’s  eldest  son  should 
succeed  to  his  father’s  titles  and  property.  A younger 
> child,  or  an  adopted  son,  or  an  uncle  or  brother  might 
be  designated  as  the  heir;  and  Japanese  history  gives 
countless  examples  of  the  exercise  of  the  privilege,  which 


THE  MONKEY  WHO 
STOLE  THE  MUSH- 
ROOMS 


214 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


has  given  rise  to  many  a blood  feud  hardly  healed  to-day. 
In  such  circumstances  a public  declaration  of  the  heir 
to  the  throne  would  almost  seem  to  be  a necessity ; but 

there  is  much  more 
than  that  in  this 
ceremony  of  the 
Bittaishi  — much 
which  is  intended 
to  impress  the  child 
himself  with  the 
fact  that  manhood 
is  not  far  off,  and 
that  already  he 
must  prepare  him- 
self to  take  up  its 
duties  and  respon- 
sibilities. The 
Empress  sent  the 
little  Prince  two 
sets  of  pictures, 
symbolic  of  the 
happiness  she 
wished  for  him, 
and  the  brave  heart 
he  must  have  if  he 
would  succeed  in 

THE  STORK  . . 

attaining  to  it. 

Among  the  drawings  illustrative  of  happiness,  one  repre- 
sents the  god  of  happiness  accompanied  by  his  attribute, 
a white  stag;  others  the  pine  for  strength,  the  stork  for 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


215 


long  life,  the  tortoise  for  riches,  and  so  on.  The  second 
set  deals  with  sterner  subjects : a hawk  symbolises  cour- 
age ; a bear  in  snow,  endurance ; a carp  swimming  up 
the  waterfall  is  the  emblem  of  perseverance.  Although 
the  Empress  is  not  Prince  Haru’s  mother,  she  is  said 
to  have  a great  affection  for  him,  and  one  hears  of 
his  paying  her  visits  pretty  constantly. 

The  Emperor  gave  his  son  the  Sword  of  State 
which  he  himself  received  on  a like  occasion  many 


THE  CARP 


years  ago.  No  great  pomp  accompanied  the  ceremony, 
and  no  Foreign  Kepresentatives  were  invited  to  be 
present,  at  what  would  be  considered  a purely  religious 
and  family  affair,  were  not  the  boy  a Prince  and  his 
affairs  therefore  the  business  of  the  nation.  A salute 
of  one  hundred  and  one  guns  was  fired  at  midday,  and 
a paragraph  in  a gilt  flourish  appeared  in  the  Official 
Gazette  about  his  being  confirmed  in  the  title  of  heir- 
apparent.  At  the  Nobles’  School,  however,  where  the 
Prince  has  many  young  friends,  fireworks  went  on  all 
day  in  the  beautifully  decorated  gardens,  and  there 


216 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


were  rather  extensive  illuminations  in  the  city.  The 
little  Prince  is  now  entitled  to  wear  the  uniform  of  a 
second  lieutenant  in  the  First  Life  Guards  (how  odd  it 
sounds  over  here  !)  and  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Chrysan- 
themum, and  his  household  is  put 
on  a more  ceremonious  and  in- 
creased footing.  A good  deal  of 
interest  attaches  to  the  sword 
given  him  by  the  Emperor.  It 
is  very  beautiful,  and  has  been 
handed  down  for  so  many  genera- 
tions in  the  Imperial  family  that 
the  date  of  its  forging  and  the 
origin  of  its  strange  name,  Tsuho 
Kiri  (the  jar-cutter),  are  com- 
pletely lost.  The  name  of  the 
maker  is  Amakuni,  who  wrote  on  the  blade  that  he 
made  it  at  the  command  of  an  Emperor  unnamed. 
The  Amakuni  family  have  made  all  the  Imperial 
swords  since  the  year  701,  when  the  Visigoths  were 
still  ruling  in  Spain,  and  the  seven  Saxon  kingdoms 
had  not  yet  been  united ; so  that  date  does  not  give 
much  clue  to  the  age  of  the  blade.  It  is  about  two  feet 
long,  double-edged,  with  a guard  of  pure  gold,  and  a 
handle  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl,  and,  as  is  fitting,  it 
lives  in  a case  of  gold  brocade.  There  is  to  be  some 
sword-forging  soon  at  one  of  the  art  exhibitions,  and  I 
hope  to  see  the  Amakuni  at  work. 

I have  looked  at  a few  Japanese  swords,  and  can 
realise  a little  what  it  must  be  to  see  them  flashing 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAP  AX 


217 


thirstily  in  the  simsliine  of  a fight.  Beautiful  and 
terrible  are  the  only  words  to  apply  to  them.  The 

perfection  of  the  steel,  the  blue  lights  that  shoot  down 
its  glorious  surface,  the  weight  of  life  and  death  in  the 
blade,  and  the  exquisite,  almost  tender  beauty  of  the 
bird  or  wave  or  blossom  worked  in  the  gold  and  bronze 
of  the  guard  — all  make  it  for  me  the  very  manifestation 
of  strength  and  loveliness,  the  word  by  which  Matter 
speaks  as  man  and  woman  both. 

A kind  of  lull  has  fallen  on  the  political  world  since 
the  attack  on  Count  Okuma,  which,  though  apparently 
the  act  of  an  isolated  fanatic,  was  at  any  rate  synchro- 
nous with  a kind  of  panic  about  the  foreign  ownership  of 
land  iiwolved  in  the  proj)osed  Revision  of  the  Treaty. 
It  is  significant  that  several  bombs  precisely  like  the 
one  thrown  at  him  have  been  discovered  by  the  police  in 
Yokohama.  That  they  are  made  in  the  country  is  evi- 
dent, because  two  of  them  were  broken  up,  and  were 
found  to  contain  scraps  of  Japanese*  newspapers  crushed 
in  among  the  explosives.  The  bombs  are  now  supposed 
to  have  been  charged  with  dynamite  which  was  recently 
stolen  from  some  public  works.  There  is  a kind  of  revo- 
lutionary club  of  young  Japanese  in  San  Francisco,  and 
people  at  first  suggested  that  the  missile  thrown  at  Count 
Okuma  had  been  manufactured  there  and  brought  across 
for  this  purpose,  the  beauty  and  finish  of  the  workman- 
ship making  it  appear  unlikely  that  it  could  have  been 
made  by  quasi-amateurs  here.  But  the  fragments  of 
newspapers  in  its  newly  found  companions  seem  to  piwe 
that  it  was  a home-made  article  after  all.  Count  Okuma 


218 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


is  recovering  well;  but  it  will  be  some  time  before  he 
can  take  up  his  work  again,  and  I fancy  he  will  resign 
as  soon  as  any  one  can  be  found  courageous  enough  to 
step  into  his  place.  We  are  bombarded  with  telegrams 
from  home,  where  they  want  Treaty  Revision  done  with 
as  soon  as  possible  (it  has  only  been  on  the  Chancery 
table  for  fourteen  years  !) ; but  the  Japanese  seem  afraid 

to  touch  it,  and  are  mak- 
ing an  excuse  of  Count 
Okuma’s  accident  to  let  it 
lie,  until,  so  to  speak, 
the  smoke  of  Kurushima’s 
bomb  has  cleared  away. 
The  Acting  Minister  for 
Foreign  Affairs,  Viscount 
Aoki,  will  probably  take 
Count  Okuma’s  place  if 
he  resigns.  Viscount  Aoki 
has  lived  many  years  in 
Berlin,  and  is  married  to 
a German  lady,  and  their 
house  is  one  of  the  pleas- 
antest here.  He  is  supposed  to  be  a great  advocate  of 
progress,  and  I have  had  one  or  two  very  interesting 
talks  with  him  about  his  country  people.  He  said  to 
me  one  day,  in  regard  to  the  anti-foreign  agitation : 
The  whole  trouble  arises  in  the  ignorance  of  the  people 
(as  to  foreigners  and  their  aims) ; until  that  is  dispelled, 
the  work  of  progress  cannot  be  thorough.  The  enlight- 
ened classes  are  almost  all  on  the  side  of  progress ; this 


VISCOUNT  AOKI 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


219 


is  a revolution  started  by  the  Court  and  the  aristocracy, 
and  opposed  by  the  lower  classes.  When  they  have 
learnt  their  lesson,  we  can  do  our  work.”  Count  'I to 
has  resigned  the  post  of  President  of  the  Council,  Cotiht 
Kuroda  has  ceased  to  be  Prime  Minister,  and  Prince 
Sanjo  has  very  unwillingly  taken  his  place  as  leader  of 
the  Cabinet.  That  must  be  an  extremely  arduous  post, 
since  the  present  policy  of  the  Government  is  to  include 
all  well-known  statesmen  in  the  Cabinet,  irrespective  of 
opinions  and  party.  I should  think  there  might  be  some 
lively  sittings.  This  Utopian  arrangement  was  advised 
by  Count  Kuroda,  who  now  retires,  having  found  it 
impossible  to  keep  that  place  with  such  a political  oppo- 
nent to  manage  as  Count  Yamagata,  who  has  at  last 
declared  himself  against  the  treaty  programme  as  it 
now  stands. 

Count  Yamagata  was  requested  to  hurry  back  from 
Europe  a little  while  ago  (he  had  been  filling  a Diplo- 
matic post)  in  order  to  deal  with  Treaty  Revision,  sosM^ 
and  various  minor  questions.  After  his  arrival  and 
entrance  into  the  Cabinet,  he  maintained  a strict  silence 
for  some  time,  unwilling  to  criticise  the  actions  of  his 
colleagues,  who  were  generally  in  favour  of  a rapid  con- 
clusion of  the  question.  At  last,  however,  he  spoke  ; and 
being  a man  of  great  intellect  combined  with  strength 
of  character,  his  dictum  carried  such  weight  that  the 
Ministers  above-mentioned  felt  that  they  must  either 
work  on  his  lines  or  retire  from  the  Cabinet.  Count 
Kuroda  retired  ; Count  Okuma  has  practically  done  the 
same,  although  no  public  announcement  has  been  made 


220 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


of  the  fact ; and  every  one  expected  to  see  Count  Yama- 
gata  take  the  leadership,  from  which  Count  Ito  and 
Count  Kuroda  had  retired  in  succession.  But  that  he 
has  refused  to  do,  foreseeing  probably  the  very  difficulties 
which  led  to  the  withdrawal  of  his  predecessors.  A 
Cabinet  which  may  not  be  composed  of  one  party  for 
fear  of  giving  dangerous  offence  to  the  others,  but  where 
the  old  clan  spirit  is  still  strongly  alive,  creating  a gulf 
between  the  Satsuma  and  the  Choshiu  peers,  who  must  be 
included  in  fair  proportions;  imblic  opinion  against  the 
treaty  programme,  and  the  Government  to  a great 
extent  pledged  to  the  Foreign  Representatives  to  carry 
it  out,  — all  this  Count  Yamagata  found,  to  use  a slang 
term,  not  good  enough,  and  remains  a Privy  Councillor. 

C Poor  Prince  San  jo,  who  thought  he  had  entered  into 
peace  some  years  ago  (in  1885),  has  been  peremptorily 
ordered  by  the  Emperor  to  take  the  command  of  the 
political  battalion.  He  begged  in  vain  to  be  excused; 
but  there  was  no  one  else  to  be  put  forward,  and  he 
finally  accepted  under  protest,  with  a rather  touching 
entreaty  that  ^Giis  Majesty  would  quickly  find  some 
person  to  replace  him  in  a position  for  which  he  had 
neither  the  strength  nor  the  inclination.” 

Prince  San  jo’s  health  is  delicate,  and  he  gives  me 
the  impression  of  a man  who  is  sadly  bored  with  politics. 
He  falls  to  my  lot  at  many  of  the  big  entertainments, 
and  is  always  so  kind  and  amiable  that  I like  to  have 
him  for  a neighbour,  although  he  speaks  no  foreign 
tongue.  We  smile  over  bouquets  and  menus;  he  tells 
me  the  Japanese  names  for  all  the  rare  fruits  and 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


221 


flowers ; and  when  we  have  to  walk  in  the  little  official 
processions,  we  try  to  be  dignifiedly  unconscious  of  the 
funny  appearance  we  must  present  — I looking  taller 
than  ever  in  the  absurd  trains  we  are  expected  to  wear 
here,  and  he  a mass  of  gorgeous  decorations,  his  head 
not  nearly  reaching  to  my  shoulder. 

Princess  Sanjo  is  quite  charming,  though  extremely 
plain.  She  is  conscious  of  this,  poor  lady,  and  the 
other  day  asked  a friend  of  mine  to  tell  her  in  con- 
fidence whether  there  were  any  women  in  Europe  as 
ugly  as  herself.  She  has  a daughter  who  is  extraor- 
dinarily handsome,  and  who  speaks  English  well.  The 
Princess  just  missed  being  Empress  instead  of  the  Prin- 
cess Haruko  Ichijo,  who  was  finally  chosen  for  that 
honour.  Both  ladies  belonged  to  the  Regent  families 
of  the  Fujiwara  clan,  from  whose  ranks  the  wives  of 
the  Emperors  must  always  be  selected.  There  are  five 
of  these  princely  families  (the  group  is  called  in  Japanese 
Go  Sekke,  Five  Regent  Houses),  and  their  respective 
names  are  Ichijo,  Nijo,  Kujo,  Konoye,  and  Takatsukasa. 
In  the  modern  classification  of  the  nobles,  they  were 
created  Dukes  ; but  as  I have  shown,  they  are  called 
Princes  in  the  official  lists.  The  title  Prince  Sanjo 
now  bears  was  bestowed  upon  him  as  a reward  of  merit 
for  great  services  rendered  at  the  time  of  the  restora- 
tion of  power  to  the  Emperor.  Prince  Sanjo  was  then 
Prime  Minister,  and  greatly  endeared  himself  to  his 
sovereign  by  the  splendid  assistance  he  rendered  to  his 
cause.  His  marriage  with  Princess  Haruko  (her  name 
is  the  same  as  that  of  the  Empress)  was  a mark  of 


222 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Imperial  favour,  as  it  constituted  an  alliance  with  the 
reigning  family,  although  not  one  which  can  furnish 
heirs  to  the  throne.  If  Princess  Sanjo’s  daughter  marries 
one  of  the  Imperial  Princes,  as  she  probably  will,  I shall 
have  to  make  plongeons  before  her,  and  treat  her  as  a 
royalty.  Now  she  sits  in  a corner  of  my  drawing-room 
on  reception  days,  nibbling  bonbons  and  talking  non- 
sense with  all  the  other  girls.  Her  father  is  building 
a beautiful  European  house  in  Azabu,  and  meanwhile 
they  are  living  in  their  very  simple  Japanese  home,  a 
low  house  surrounded  by  mournful  yews.  The  rooms 
are  small,  but  have  beautiful  carved  lattices  in  their 
divisions  ; the  foot  sinks  noiselessly  into  the  silky 
floor-mats ; and  there  is  an  old-time  silence  and  stateli- 
ness about  the  place  which  suits  the  inhabitants  better 
than  the  white  marble  house  on  the  hill  can  ever  do, 
I think. 


CHAPTER  XII 


SIR  EDWIN  ARNOLD,  A BABY,  AND  THE  JAPANESE  GRAMMAR. 
— HOW  COUNTESS  KURODA’s  PORTRAIT  WAS  PAINTED.  — 
'‘VERY  OLD,  OVER  TWENTY.”  — MY  SECOND  VISIT  TO 
ATAMI.  — A VISION  OF  FUJI.  — FORGOTTEN  MEDALS.  — 
THE  ATTACK  ON  THE  LEGATION  IN  1861 


ID  I tell  you  in  my  last  letter  of  the  delightful 


surprise  we  had,  in  the  way  of  a visit  from 
Edwin  Arnold  and  his  daughter  ? These  last  weeks 
have  been  very  full,  as  you  will  see  presently ; but 
these  guests  were  of  the  sort  who  refresh  your  few 
leisure  moments,  and  take  care  of  themselves  in  your 
busy  ones. 

I knew  how  the  poet  would  enjoy  his  first  visit 
to  Japan,  and  I wanted  to  see  him  enjoy  it ; so  he 
stayed  with  us  for  some  little  time,  and  fell  so  much 
in  love  with  Tokyo  that  he  has  taken  a house  for 
six  months,  where  he  insists  on  sleeping  on  the  mats 
Japanese  fashion,  much  to  his  daughter’s  horror.  He 
was  brought  here,  he  says,  by  that  enchanting  book, 
Chamberlain’s  Colloquial  Japanese^  which  came  under 
his  notice  in  America.  After  he  had  read  a few  sen- 
tences, he  decided  that  it  was  'absolutely  necessary  to 


Tokyo,  December,  1889. 


223 


224 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


visit  this  land  of  glorified  politeness,  where,  if  phrases 
are  to  be  believed,  a man  would  honourably  sacrifice 
his  own  soul,  his  wife  and  children,  and  all  his  belong- 
ings rather  than  be  convicted  of  a breach  of  etiquette. 
The  book  which  proved  such  a bait  for  the  great 
Sanskrit  scholar  was  carefully  studied  on  the  journey 
across  the  Pacific,  in  a sheltered  corner  near  the  funnel, 
whence  Sir  Edwin,  I am  told,  only  emerged  at  stated 
intervals  to  take  charge  of  a certain  small  baby,  whose 
weary  mother  thus  got  a few  moments  for  rest  and 
food.  He  says  that  sometimes  the  baby  was  good,  and 
then  he  would  walk  up  and  down  with  it  on  one  arm, 
learning  Japanese  phrases  from  the  book  held  open 
with  the  other  hand.  When  the  baby  was  fretful,  it 
took  his  whole  attention,  and  had  the  Japanese  good- 
night crooned  to  it,  Oyasu  mi  nasai!”  (To  receive 
sleep  condescend).  The  pair  must  have  made  an 
amusing  picture ; and  I can  believe  the  story  is  true, 
for  our  servants’  children,  shy  with  most  people,  have 
made  friends  readily  with  the  poet  of  the  grey  hair 

I H 

and  the  kind  eyes  still  so  full  of  the  blue  fire  of  youth. 
He  made  such  use  of  the  handbook,  that  he  can  speak 
to  the  children  in  their  own  language,  much  to  their 
delight. 

I called  him  in  the  other  day  to  see  Countess 
Kuroda,  w^ho  had  come,  by  appointment,  in  a lovely 
Japanese  dress,  to  have  her  portrait  painted  by  Mr. 
Walter  S.  Landor,  who  is  staying  in  the  compound  at 

Number  Two,”  the  N ’s  house.  It  sounds  rather 

a complicated  method  of  having  one’s  portrait  painted. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


225 


does  it  not  ? But  there  was  no  other  way  to  manage 
it.  The  little  Countess  was  very  anxious  to  see  her 
pretty  face  on  canvas ; Mr.  Landor  was  equally  anxious 
to  draw  it  there ; but  — well,  Count  Kuroda  is  a man 
of  an  extremely  jealous  temperament,  and  his  wife 
clearly  let  us  un- 
derstand that  he 
would  not  care  to 
have  a foreign 
gentleman  staring 
at  her  for  hours 
together  in  her 
own  house  when 
his  own  public 
duties  would  call 
him  away.  How 
would  it  be,  she 
shyly  suggested,  if 
she  said  that  she 
was  spending  the 
day  with  the  Eng- 
lish Koshi  Sama’s 
Okusama  ? Her 
husband  would  be 
sure  that  she  was  quite  safe  if  she  was  with  Mrs. 
Fraser,  and  — really  — perhaps  nothing  need  be  said  to 
him  about  the  picture  just  now,  after  all ! It  would 
be  such  a nice  surprise  for  him  afterwards ! As  my 
conscience  did  not  oblige  me  to  tell  the  Prime  Minister 
that  his  wife  was  having  her  portrait  painted,  the  matter 


THE  COUNTESS  KURODA  IN  COURT  DRESS 


VOL.  I 


Q 


226 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


was  arranged  ; Mr.  Landor  came,  and  of  course  picked 
out  for  his  studio  a gaunt  north  room  that  we  never 
use  unless  the  house  is  very  full;  I filled  it  with  flowers 
and  screens ; and  then  the  little  lady  arrived,  dressed 
in  the  softest  of  crapes  and  the  most  gorgeous  of  obis, 
her  hair  shining  like  black  satin,  her  eyes  dancing  with 
excitement,  and  a round  spot  of  brilliant  rouge  (or  bmi, 
as  it  is  called  here)  on  her  lower  lip.  She  was  delighted 
to  find  that  Sir  Edwin  could  speak  her  own  language  a 
little ; but  did  not  look  at  all  pleased  when  he  admired 
her  hands,  fine  and  small  as  a child’s.  From  the  Jap- 
anese point  of  view,  such  personal  compliments  consti- 
tute a breach  of  etiquette. 

“ Very  dirty,  very  dirty!”  she  said,  laughing,  as  she 
tucked  them  away  under  her  long  sleeves ; and  I laughed 
too,  not  knowing  the  phrase,  which  is  merely  one  of 
polite  deprecation  when  anything  of  the  speaker’s  is 
admired.  I have  since  heard  it  applied  to  people’s 
houses,  clothes,  and  I think  to  their  dinners,  if  one 
had  chanced  to  praise  a feast;  if  one  admires  a child, 
it  is  at  once  said  to  be  ugly,  and  anything  so  intimately 
a man’s  own  as  his  wife  is  invariably  called  stupid. 
I remember  the  Chinese  word  is  much  the  same ; 
“ The  stupid  person  of  the  inner  chamber  ” being  the 
ordinary  name  in  Peking,  if  a wife  has  to  be  mentioned 
at  all. 

At  last  I got  Countess  Kuroda  installed  in  a pose 
which  suited  her,  but  which  caused  the  artist  to  wail 
in  lamentation ; for  she  insisted  upon  standing,  in  what 
she  called  the  only  attitude  possible  for  a lady,  square 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPA^^ 


227 


to  the  painter,  with  both  sleeves  tightly  pulled  down  to 
hide  her  ten  fingers.  She  was  a good  deal  scandalised, 
on  coming  round  to  have  a look  at  the  result,  to  find 
that  Mr.  Landor  had  drawn  her  hands  quite  outside  her 
sleeves.  She  shook  her  head  gravely,  and  then  sighed. 

What  is  it  ? ” we  asked ; is  there  something 
wrong  with  the  picture?” 

I ought  not  to  show  my  hands,”  she  said ; only 
peasant-women  do  that ! And  — oh  dear,  what  a pity 
I am  already  so  old ! ” 

Old  ! ” I cried ; why,  you  are  just  twenty-two  ! ” 
i^Yery  old,”  she  insisted,  pointing  to  the  picture 
where  Mr.  Landor  had  already  got  the  face  in,  round 
and  pure  and  pale.  I were  still  young,  I could 

wear  paint  on  my  cheeks,  and  my  picture  would  also 
have  rosy  cheeks.  But  now  I am  old,  over  twenty, 
and  I must  never  paint  my  cheeks  any  more ! ” 

This  defect  was  quickly  remedied,  and  she  forgave 
Mr.  Landor  about  the  hands  when  he  threw  a rosy 
flush  over  the  little  face  in  the  picture.  At  the  second 
and  third  sittings  the  Countess  became  quite  enthusiastic, 
and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  change  and  liberty  that  the 
visits  brought.  When  the  whole  thing  was  finished, 
Mr.  Landor  made  a present  of  the  painting  to  Count 
Kuroda,  who  was  so  pleased  that  he  forgot  to  be 
angry ; and  I have  ever  since  been  receiving  gorgeous 
bunches  of  chrysanthemums  or  presents  of  eggs  or 
bonbons  in  token  of  gratitude  from  his  wife. 

All  this  time  we  have  had  an  invalid  in  the  house, 
a poor  Englishwoman,  who  came  out  as  governess  in  a 


228 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


friend’s  family,  and  almost  immediately  had  to  undergo 
a severe  operation  at  the  hospital.  Her  employers 
have  shown  endless  kindness  and  forbearance,  Mrs. 

H leaving  her  little  children  for  a month,  and 

shutting  herself  up  in  the  dreary  hospital  room  with 
her  friend.  We  brought  the  sick  woman  here  to  re- 
cover, and  also  to  give  Mrs.  H some  rest;  and  I 

cannot  say  how  touched  I have  been  by  Sir  Edwin 
Arnold’s  kindness  to  this  poor  soul.  I am  so  busy  that 
I have  to  be  away  a great  part  of  the  day,  leaving 
her  in  charge  of  her  nurse  and  the  servants,  who  have 
been  very  good ; but  the  time  must  often  have  seemed 
long  to  her,  and  you  can  imagine  what  it  has  been 
to  have  such  a companion  as  Sir  Edwin  for  an  hour 
or  so  every  evening.  He  said  nothing  to  me,  but 
quietly  took  to  dressing  for  dinner  an  hour  earlier  than 
any  one  else,  and  then  going  into  her  room,  where  I 
found  him  installed,  reading  aloud,  when  I came  to  see 
if  all  was  right.  I am  sure  that  delightful  hour  every 
day  has  really  helped  the  poor  thing  to  crawl  back  to 
life  and  strength. 

I broke  down  again  when  she  was  better,  and  since 
I last  wrote  have  had  a few  days  in  Atami,  the  town 
of  the  geyser  and  the  long  beaches  by  the  ^sounding 
sea.  I found  it  much  warmer  than  Tokyo,  except  on 
one  or  two  days ; and  then  I piled  up  sweet  woods  and 
fir  cones  in  the  little  grate  of  my  sitting-room,  and  took 
quick  walks  in  the  crisp  air,  and  mightily  enjoyed  the 
scalding  baths.  My  landlord’s  daughter,  O’Detsu,  was 
fired  with  ambition  to  learn  to  knit  mittens  for  her  be- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


229 


loved  father’s  honourable  cold  wrists ; so  we  sat  together 
for  hours,  she  poring  over  intricate  stitches,  and  I di- 
recting her  eager  stiff  fingers.  At  last,  after  using  all 
my  wools,  she  turned  out  a splendid  pair,  which  the 
old  gentleman  at  once  put  on.  They  form  an  extremely 
comfortable  addition  to  the  wide  empty  sleeve  of  Jap- 
anese costume.  The  Japanese  ladies  tell  me  that  they 
find  their  own  dress  terribly  cold  in  European  houses, 
where  they  are  expected  to  sit  on  high  chairs,  and  every 
stray  draught  may  blow  up  their  poor  unprotected 
limbs.  The  tabi^  or  white  sock  with  divided  toe,  stops 
short  at  the  ankle,  and  there  is  no  stocking  to  continue 
the  covering.  A closely  wrapped  woollen  crape  skirt, 
scarlet  or  white,  represents  all  the  underclothing  for 
which  there  is  room  beneath  the  tightly  clinging  kimonos^ 
worn  one  over  another  like  linings  of  the  ujDper  robe. 
In  a Japanese  house,  with  its  warm  mats,  everybody 
kneels  or  sits  on  thin  padded  cushions  on  the  floor, 
and  the  cold  cannot  creep  up  as  it  does  when  people 
have  to  perch  on  chairs.  Women  of  the  lower  class 
almost  always  sink  down  on  their  knees  in  serving 
one,  and  the  movement  is  wonderfully  graceful  and 
easy. 

I had  one  black  wet  day  in  Atami;  but  it  was  made 
up  for  by  one  jewelled  morning  after  another  — days 
when  sky  and  sea,  woods  and  waves  and  islands,  were 
all  a vision  of  immortal  shining  loveliness ; and  oh, 
the  music  of  the  long  waves  on  the  shore  ! It  always 
sets  life  to  its  own  grave  sweet  cadence,  and  helps  me 
to  think  as  I never  think  elsewhere.  I went  down 


230 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


alone ; but  H came  to  fetch  me,  and  brought  me 

home  over  the  hills  by  Miyanoshita,  where  we  stayed 
a day  or  two,  thinking  to  take  a house  there  for  next 
summer. 

Our  journey  over  the  pass  to  Miyanoshita  was  a 
thing  I shall  never  forget.  It  was  a bitterly  cold 


AFTER  THE  SNOWSTORM 


morning  when  we  set  out,  and  a heavy  snowfall  had 
turned  my  world  white.  The  dear  old  temple  and  the 
camphor  tree,  the  empty  rice-fields  and  the  village 
street,  were  all  uniformly  dazzling ; for  the  fall  had 
ceased  when  the  sun  rose,  and  he  was  shining  brilliantly 
in  a sapphire  sky,  as  if  beyond  some  crystal  dome, 
which  showed  us  all  his  glory  and  forbade  his  touching 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


231 


only  other  method  of  going  over  the  pass  would  be 
on  foot,  and  I never  was  a great  walker.  ^^AYo  worth 
the  day,”  as  the  old  ballads  say,  when  I undertook  to 
double  my  stiff  European  length  into  a kind  of  basket 
too  short  to  lie  down  in  and  too  low  to  sit  up  in ; for 
the  little  penthouse-roof  which  ran  along  the  carrying- 
pole  knocked  my  head  even  when  I had  taken  my  hat 


us  with  his  warmth.  I had  not  brought  my  Hong 
Kong  chair  this  time,  and  decided  to  try  the  Japanese 
karjo,  the  basket  litter  slung  on  a pole  and  carried  on 
two  men’s  shoulders.  I had  seen  my  little  amah, 
0’ Matsu,  jump  in  and  out  of  these  things  so  easily, 
and  look  so  happy  as  she  was  dandled  along  the  road 
in  one,  that  it  seemed  worth  trying,  especially  as  the 


A KAGO  JOURNEY IN  SUMMER 


232 


LETTERS  FEOM  JAPAN 


off,  and  was  further  weighted  with  various  bundles 
of  food  and  clothing,  the  property  of  the  coolies  who 
were  to  bear  me  between  them.  The  cold  seemed 
all  the  more  intense  for  that  blue  sky  and  laughing 
sunshine.  I was  rolled  in  many  rugs ; and  O’Matsu 
lighted  two  fire-boxes  before  we  started,  and  put  one 
at  my  feet  and  one  inside  my  jacket.  I think  they 
did  much  to  keep  me  alive,  and  perhaps  my  delight 
in  the  beautiful  scenery  did  the  rest.  In  spite  of  the 
cold  and  the  intense  fatigue  caused  by  the  cramped 
position  and  the  broken  trot  of  my  coolies,  I would 
not  have  missed  the  sights  I saw  for  anything.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  memory  of  such  beauty  will 
follow  my  spirit  long  after  the  bones  which  ached  so 
wearily  shall  have  been  blown  away  in  dust. 

On  leaving  Atami,  we  followed  a raised  highroad 
which  runs  across  the  rice-fields  to  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  then  scales  them  for  a little  way,  ending  short 
off  in  the  hills,  and  obliging  the  traveller  to  take  to  a 
steep  and  narrow  footpath,  which  mounts  abruptly  (far 
too  abruptly !)  up  the  skyey  stair.  I gasped  as  I saw  my 
boxes  going  up  this  before  me  on  the  coolies’  backs.  The 
black  basket  trunks,  which  had  seemed  of  so  moderate 
size  in  railway  trains  and  even  on  jinrikshas,  absolutely 
grew,  stood  out  enormous  on  these  poor  men’s  shoulders, 
and  the  sight  of  a large  Fraser”  painted  in  white  on 
black  leather  scrambling  up  the  rocks  on  two  staggering 
brown  legs  filled  me  with  compunction  and  dismay ! 

H , who  is  an  invincible  walker,  found  it  all  he 

could  do  to  get  himself  and  his  stick  up  to  the  top;  but. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


233 


at  any  rate,  lie  did  it  at  one  stretch,  while  I and  iny 
boxes  and  my  coolies  had  to  stop  every  few  minutes,  and 
I felt  like  a wicked  tyrant  for  letting  myself  be  carried 
at  all. 

As  we  rose  higher  and  higher,  the  most  surprising 
views  spread  out  all  round  us.  The  sea  seemed  to  be 


climbing  the  sky,  there  was  such  an  outspread  mantle 
of  it,  dimpling  in  a million  diamonds  in  the  morning  sun. 
Peak  after  peak  of  the  hills  rose  before  us ; and  at  last 
we  saw  three  seas — one  beyond  Atami,  which  we  had 
left  behind,  and  one  in  a deep  bay  on  either  side  of  us, 
thousands  of  feet  below,  but  so  near  that  one  could  see 


FUJI  IN  SNOW 


234 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


every  detail  of  the  houses  in  the  little  fishing  villages 
washed  up  like  brown  shells  on  the  shores.  We  were  on 
the  highest  point  of  the  pass,  where  a deep-runed  stone 
tells  the  traveller  that  from  this  spot  his  eye  can  wander 
over  ten  provinces  of  what  the  old  writers  called  the 
Kingdom  of  Japonia.  But  we  hardly  cared  to  look 
down,  for  there  before  us,  in  midday  splendour,  rose 
Fujiyama,  white,  dazzling,  a marble  pyramid  against  a 
sapphire  sky.  Mists  rolled  thick  round  its  feet,  as  if  the 
mountain-goddess  had  but  just  dropped  her  robe  that  we 
and  the  sun  might  look  on  her  beauty  ; then  invisible 
hands  seemed  to  be  raising  the  airy  garment  higher  and 
higher,  till  the  veil  swept  over  the  proud  white  crest, 
and  the  vision  was  gone. 

Once  or  twice  in  the  course  of  the  day  it  returned, 
but  never  in  that  perfection.  The  road  was  long,  and 
so  heavy  with  snow  that  the  men  made  but  slow  progress 
witli  my  litter,  which  hung  too  near  the  ground  for  me 
to  get  much  outlook  on  the  scenery  from  under  its 
wooden  roof.  We  stopped  as  little  as  possible,  fearing 
that  the  short  winter  day  would  close  in  before  we  had 
sighted  the  friendly  lights  of  Miyanoshita ; and  this  was 
what  happened  after  all.  The  last  part  of  the  journey, 
a rather  steep  descent,  was  accomplished  in  the  dark, 
and  the  coolies  tried  every  step  with  their  sticks  before 
they  moved.  We  knew  that  we  were  close  to  a torrent, 
because  the  roar  went  beside  us  for  a long  time ; and 
the  cold,  which  was  intense,  became  even  more  marked 
when  half-frozen  spray  was  blown  in  one’s  face  out  of 
the  night’s  black  mouth.  I was  so  cold  that  it  seemed 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


235 


impossible  I should  ever  move  my  limbs  enough  to  get 
out  of  that  dreadful  little  litter,  and  I was  greatly  re- 
lieved at  last  to  see  a forest  of  red  and  white  lanterns, 
bearing  the  well-known  mark  of  Fujiya’s  hotel,  come 
bobbing  and  dancing 
through  the  black- 
ness, and  our  coolies’ 
shouts  were  answered 
by  those  of  the  men 
who  had  been  sent  out 
to  look  for  us. 

It  was  not  long  be- 
fore we  were  housed 
and  warmed,  and 
laughing  over  the  day’s 
discomforts  before  a 
blazing  wood  fire  ; but 
I cannot  say  that  I 
had  quite  forgotten 
them,  and  some  trace 
of  stiffness  remained 
for  several  days.  The 
journey  is  hardly  one 
to  undertake  in  win- 
ter ; but  I am  glad  we  did  it,  for  it  has  given  me  an 
impression  of  Fuji  which  I could  never  have  had  in  the 
warmer  weather. 

Many  people  go  to  Miyanoshita  for  Christmas, 
especially  the  foreign  colony  established  in  Yokohama. 
To  me  there  is  something  so  dreary  in  spending  these 


FIGURE  OF  BUDDHA  CARVED  IN  THE  ROCK 
NEAR  HAKONE 


236 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


anniversaries  in  hired  rooms  and  strange  scenery,  that 
nothing  would  induce  me  to  try  it.  As  time  goes  on 
they  change  their  meaning,  indeed,  and  become  less  gay, 
but  not  less  sacred.  Out  here  I live  my  mind  life  in 
a curious  three  time,  owing  to  the  enormous  distance 
from  home.  My  Christmas  letters  had  to  be  written 
and  sent  off  on  November  20th ; in  a few  days  they 
and  the  quaint  collection  of  gifts  that  went  with  them 
* will  cause  great  joy  in  the  little  home  circle ; but  I 
shall  have  no  word  of  thanks  till  the  end  of  January, 
or  later.  We  get  in  the  papers  distorted  telegrams 
about  events  in  Europe,  but  long  before  the  true  account 
of  the  thing  reaches  us  its  very  existence  has  gone  out 
of  one’s  mind ; and  so,  little  by  little,  the  vivid  interest 
in  home  politics  dies  out,  and  is  replaced  by  smaller 
and  nearer  subjects.  But  one  is  not  moved  or  excited 
about  them  as  one  is  in  Europe.  There  is  so  much 
time  here,  so  much  stored  leisure  to  be  discounted,  that 
hurry  drops  out  of  life  to  a great  extent,  and  nobody  frets 
when  that  which  should  have  been  accomplished  last 
week  is  hopefully  announced  to  take  place  next  year. 
That  is  the  ambiente,  the  moral  air  of  this  morning 
land;  and  Europeans  soon  imbibe  the  easy  philosophy. 

A curious  instance  of  this  trick  of  willing  waiting 
was  brought  to  sight  a little  before  our  arrival.  A 
safe  in  the  Chancery,  which  had  been  unused  for  some 
years,  was  opened  for  some  reason  or  other,  and  was 
found  to  contain  a parcel  of  apparently  forgotten 
medals  sent  by  our  Government  to  be  distributed 
among  the  Japanese  who  helped  to  defend  the  British 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


237 


all  at  once,  and  so  avoid  unfriendly  feeling  ? The  local 
papers  made  merry  at  our  expense,  and  the  tiresome 
people  who  only  live  to  ask  questions  to  which  there 
can  be  no  possible  answer  rose  like  one  man,  and 
insisted  on  knowing  the  cause  of  the  delay.  When  at 
last  the  truth  was  told,  the  delay  turned  out  not  to  have 
been  of  our  making  at  all ; it  came  from  the  heroes 
themselves,  who  in  those  early  days  had  no  desire  to 


Legation  against  the  attack  of  some  samurai  in — 1861 ! 
When  it  was  known  that  these  medals  would  now  be 
distributed,  over  twenty-seven  years  after  the  event, 
every  one  seemed  inclined  to  deprecate  the  precipitation 
shown  by  our  authorities  in  such  matters.  Why  not 
wait  until  the  few  survivors  of  the  affray  had  joined  the 
majority,  and  then  hang  the  medals  on  their  tornljstones 


THE  CHANCERY  HOUSE 


238 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


be  distinguished  as  the  friends  and  protectors  of  the 
abhorred  foreigner,  although  their  obedience  to  orders 
had  made  them  quite  ready  to  strike  a blow  in  his 
defence. 

The  story  of  the  attack  is  such  an  old  one  that 
you  may  have  forgotten  it.  It  was  told  me  in  graphic 
language  by  Laurence  Oli pliant  a few  years  ago ; and 
often  in  driving  past  the  spot  where  the  Legation  then 
stood  that  record  of  bloodshed  has  come  back  to  my 
mind.  In  those  days  our  flag  flew  from  a green  knoll 
in  Takanawa,  close  to  the  sea,  which  aflorded  oppor- 
tunities of  protection  by  a passing  gun-boat.  The 
Shogun’s  Government  kept  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
to  guard  the  compound ; but  for  some  undeclared  reason 
they  failed  to  stop  fourteen  samurai,  desperate,  con- 
scientious fanatics,  who  made  their  way  into  the  Minis- 
ter’s quarters  on  the  night  of  July  4th,  1861,  and 
succeeded  in  wounding  Laurence  Oliphant  and  the  other 
Secretary,  and  in  killing  some  of  the  guards,  before  they 
were  driven  back.  Once  roused,  the  guards  fought  well ; 
and  it  was  in  recognition  of  their  services  that  these 
medals  were  sent  from  England,  with  warm  expressions 
of  thanks  for  their  loyalty.  But'  nobody  wished  to  be 
reminded  of  the  aflair,  and  the  Tokugawa  Government 
refused  to  supply  the  names  of  the  men  who  had  earned 
the  British  decorations,  which  would  at  that  time  have 
marked  out  their  wearers  as  traitors  in  the  eyes  of  the 
fanatical  samurai  and  the  country  at  large.  So  the 
medals  were  quietly  put  away  in  a Chancery  safe,  which, 
with  other  valuable  objects,  escaped  destruction  in  1863, 


FERRY  BOATS  NEAR  TAKANAWA 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


241 


because  the  persevering  samurai  who  then  burnt  down 
the  new  Legation  buildings  did  so  on  the  very  night 
after  they  were  completed,  and  before  the  British  Repre- 
sentative and  his  staff  had  taken  possession. 

For  this  last  outrage  there  was  something  like  an 
excuse,  since  the  site  of  the  buildings  had  been,  strictly 
speaking,  extorted  from  the  Government  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet.  Various  beautiful  sites  were  offered  when 
the  Takanawa  Legation  was  condemned  as  being  isolated 
and  inconvenient ; but  our  authorities  would  have  none 
of  them,  having  set  their  hearts  on  what  was  a favourite 
resort  of  the  townspeople,  a beautiful  public  garden, 
endeared  to  the  Japanese  by  the  fact  that  their  hero 
lyeyasu  had  held  his  Court  there  when  he  first  made 
Tokyo  his  seat  of  Government.  It  is  interesting  to  re- 
member that  Count  Ito,  to-day  the  great  advocate  of 
progress  for  Japan,  the  chief  framer  of  her  Constitution, 
was  one  of  the  samurai  engaged  in  this  incendiary  ex- 
ploit. He  laughs  over  it  now,  and  says  that  if  medals 
are  being  given  to  the  protectors  of  the  foreigner  he  cer- 
tainly ought  to  have  one,  having  planned  and  lighted  his 
bonfire  when  the  new  buildings  were  empty  and  no  lives 
could  be  lost. 

But  I must  go  back  to  the  story  of  the  safe.  It 
travelled  with  the  rest  of  the  official  properties  from  one 
place  to  another,  till,  eighteen  years  ago,  it  was  lodged 
in  the  present  Chancery,  a strong  little  building,  well 
away  from  the  gate,  and  placed  between  the  Minister’s 
house  and  the  quarters  of  the  two  English  constables  who 
are  all  that  now  remain  of  the  numerous  escort  necessary 


VOL,  I 


R 


242 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


in  Sir  Harry  Parkes’  days.  Then  the  times  changed ; 
and  when  the  Queen  sent  swords  to  Count  Goto  and 
Nakai  Kozo  for  defending  her  Representative  from  the 
perennial  fanatic  in  1868,  her  gifts  were  received  with 
pride  and  gratitude.  But  the  medals  were  forgotten ; 
the  keys  of  the  safe  were  lost ; it  was  supposed  only  to 
contain  old  accounts,  which  nobody  wished  to  consult ; 
and  something  very  like  consternation  filled  the  estab- 
lishment last  spring,  when  the  energetic  head  of  the 
Chancery  said  he  would  not  have  useless  lumber  lying 
about,  the  old  chest  must  be  broken  open,  and  its  con- 
tents sorted  or  destroyed,  according  to  their  values ! 
Then  the  medals,  silver  and  gold,  with  their  yellow 
diplomas,  came  to  light.  The  active  official  conscience 
insisted  on  their  being  given  to  the  men  for  whom  they 
were  intended,  and  a busy  search  brought  one  or  two  of 
these  retiring  braves  to  the  light,  and  caused  considerable 
amusement  to  the  foreign  public  at  large,  who,  not 
instructed  as  to  the  original  causes  of  the  delay,  felt 
delightfully  healthy  and  virtuous  in  having  found 
such  a good  case  against  red-tapeism  and  official  pro- 
crastinations, and  in  proof  of  the  general  uselessness  of 
public  servants. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


NEW  year’s  day  at  THE  PALACE.  — A CHRISTMAS  TREE.  — 
JAPANESE  CHILDREN.  — “ COME  BACK  NEXT  YEAR  ” 


January,  1890. 

nVTEW  Year’s  Day  was  marked  by  a reception  at  the 
^ Palace  far  more  formal  than  corresponding  cercles 
held  by  sovereigns  in  Europe.  I was  glad  to  have  an- 
other chance  of  walking  through  those  beautiful  rooms 
in  the  great  house  across  the  moat.  It  was  a cold 
snowy  morning,  and  there  was  not  much  comfort  to  be 
found  in  putting  on  a low  dress,  even  with  an  inter- 
minable train  attached  to  it.  We  drove  off,  a goodly 
procession,  preceded  by  Inspector  Peacock,  looking  very 
smart  in  full  uniform  on  Polly  Perkins,”  an  old  charger, 
who  is  the  doyejine  of  the  stables,  having  come  to  Japan, 
it  is  said,  in  Lord  Elgin’s  time.  We  have  to  make  a 
long  round  to  reach  the  State  entrance  to  the  Palace ; 
and  so  many  carriages  were  already  drawn  up  inside  the 
enclosure  that  I began  to  fear  we  might  be  late.  This 
reception  was  for  the  Diplomatic  Corps ; but  the  poor 
Emperor  and  Empress  had  already  held  two  that  morn- 
ing— one  of  the  Cabinet  Ministers  and  other  members  of 
the  Government,  and  one  of  the  Peers  and  their  wives ; 
and  yet  earlier  the  Emperor  had  performed  a religious 

243 


244 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


ceremony  before  the 
tablets  of  bis  ances- 
tors. The  afternoon 
was  to  be  devoted  to 
receiving  the  military 
officials,  and  altogether 
the  programme  seemed 
one  which  would  have 
taxed  the  strength  of 
even  the  Reise  Kai- 
ser ” to  carry  out. 

We  were  received 
by  a number  of  the 
Household  officials  in 
the  entrance  hall,  and 
the  men  waited  while 
we  women  took  off 
our  cloaks  in  a beautiful  little  dressing-room  full  of  long 
glasses  and  supplied  with  pins  and  powder  in  the  most 
hospitable  fashion.  I did  not  want  either,  but  lingered 
a minute  to  speak  to  the  dressers  who  were  there  in 
attendance.  There  were  four  charmingly  pretty  girls, 
two  dressed  in  European  frocks  of  grey  silk,  and  two 
in  their  own  brilliant  costumes,  carried  out  in  superb 
materials.  Their  smiling  faces,  and  the  fine  deft  fingers 
which  removed  my  wraps  and  shook  out  my  finery, 
made  me  feel  that  on  the  whole  Japanese  ladies  have 
nothing  to  envy  us  in  the  way  of  lady’s  maids.  To 
them  I think  the  whole  thing  was  a delightful  treat, 
and  they  betrayed  a good  deal  of  curiosity  as  to  how 


A PALACE  OFFICIAL 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


245 


the  white  plumes  and  the  long  veil  were  fastened  to 
my  head. 

When  I came  out,  we  started  on  that  long  walk 
through  the  corridors  which  I described  in  one  of  my 
first  letters.  To-day  the  endless  glass  galleries  were 
warmed  by  steam,  and  full  of  bright  dresses  and 
uniforms.  The  great  drawing-room  where  we  all 
gathered  presented  a beautiful  sight ; the  flower  temple 
in  the  centre,  a mass  of  orchids  and  roses,  was  sur- 
rounded by  a crowd  of  men  in  all  the  Diplomatic 
uniforms  of  Europe,  with  many  military  ones  scattered 
among  them.  The  women’s  gorgeous  trains  wound 
in  and  out  like  serpents  of  velvet  and  gold,  and  the 
bright  sunshine  which  had  suc- 
ceeded the  snow  danced  gaily 
on  their  jewels  as  they  moved. 

Outside,  the  courtyard  that  I 
had  last  seen  full  of  cherry  blos- 
som was  all  a fairy-land  of  snow, 
and  the  fountain  played  above 
it,  throwing  rosaries  of  diamonds 
about  in  the  sunshine.  There 
were  no  Japanese  ladies  to  re- 
ceive us,  except  the  wife  of  the 
Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs ; 
and  she  went  to  take  her  stand 
by  the  Empress  before  we  were 
summoned  to  the  throne-room. 

This  is  a large  square  room 
in  another  courtyard,  and  is  at 


A TREE  PEONY 


246 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


some  distance  from  the  drawing-room.  As  we  ap- 
proached, I saw  that  the  walls  of  this  hall,  which  I had 
hardly  noticed  separately  before,  are  all  of  glass,  except 
on  one  side,  where  the  twm  thrones  are  placed  on  a 
raised  dais,  lined  with  heavy  draperies  of  Kyoto  silks. 
The  floor  of  inlaid  woods  was  so  highly  polished  that 
I looked  at  it  with  some  apprehension,  having  been 
a little  lame  with  rheumatism  of  late.  We  had  to 
wait  our  turn  to  enter  (the  French  Minister  is  just 
now  our  doyen),  and  I could  watch  the  ceremony 
through  the  glass.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  stood 
on  the  top  step  of  the  dais,  a few  yards  apart,  he 
having  the  Imperial  Princes  and  his  aides-de-camp 
behind  him  on  his  right,  and  the  Empress  the  Prin- 
cesses and  her  ladies  on  her  left.  The  Emperor,  whom 
I now  saw  close  to  for  the  first  time,  has  a very  plain 
but  interesting  face.  The  lower  part  is  heavy  and 
impassive ; but  the  eyes  are  piercingly  brilliant,  and 
the  brow  that  of  a thinker.  He  is  of  medium  height, 
and  has  a good  figure,  which  is  shown  to  advantage, 
as  he  holds  himself  extremely  well.  The  appearance 
of  many  Japanese  gentlemen  is  spoiled  in  European 
dress  by  their  peculiarly  short  arms ; but  the  Emperor 
does  not  suffer  from  this  defect.  He  looked  very 
dignified  in  his  marshal’s  uniform,  covered  as  it  was 
with  splendid  decorations.  The  Empress  was  in  white 
brocade,  with  two  of  the  most  perfect  diamond  rivieras 
round  her  neck  that  I have  ever  seen.  I think  they 
are  finer  than  those  of  the  Empress  of  Austria.  She 
wore  a magnificent  tiara,  too  heavy  for  her  small  head ; 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


247 


and  she  looked,  poor  lady,  terribly  pale  and  tired.  Her 
white  dress  was  crossed  by  the  broad  orange  ribbon 
of  an  Imperial  order,  which  was  also  worn  by  the 
Princesses.  The  effect  of  this  flaming  band  on  a soft 
rose  or  pale-green  satin  gown  is  rather  disastrous. 

When  it  was  our  turn  to  make  our  bow  to  the 
sovereigns,  I found  it  a very  long  way  from  the  entrance 
to  the  dais,  and  the  floor  was  even  more  slippery  than 
it  looked.  However,  I got  through  all  the  curtseys 
without  accidents.  The  Emperor  and  Empress  only 
bowed  as  we  passed  before  them ; the  Princesses  nodded 
and  smiled  in  a row ; and  then  we  had  to  back  out  and 
down,  across  more  miles  of  gleaming  parquet,  and 
through  a door,  from  which  I could  stand  and  watch 
as  the  next  victim  underwent  the  same  ordeal.  The 
whole  ceremony  did  not  last  five  minutes,  and  I heard 
more  than  one  of  our  colleagues  grumbling  violently 
at  the  trouble  and  fatigue  involved.  Perhaps  I shall 
do  the  same  next  year ; but  this  was  the  first  time  for 
me,  and  the  spectacle  pleased  me.  There  was  some- 
thing rather  fine  about  the  great  sombre  room,  with 
its  crimson  background  and  glass  screens,  its  sover- 
eigns and  their  court,  all  silent  as  the  dead,  watching 
the  Representatives  of  the  world  file  past  them  as  they 
stood  on  that  dais-step,  which  seemed  for  the  moment 
to  be  the  high-water  mark  of  the  country’s  advance 
towards  friendship  and  equality  with  great  unseen 
Europe. 

When  it  was  all  over,  I flew  home  and  tore  off  my 
finery  to  throw  myself  into  the  preparations  for  a huge 


248 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Christmas  tree,  the  first  that  had  ever  grown  in  our 
compound,  for  the  children  of  our  servants  and  writers 
and  employes,  who  make  up  the  number  of  our  Legation 


SOME  JAPANESE  CHILDREN 


population  to  close  on  two  hundred,  beginning  with 

H , and  ending  Avith  the  last  jinriksha  coolie’s 

youngest  baby.  I could  not  have  the  tree  on  Christmas 
Day,  owing  to  various  engagements ; so  it  was  fixed 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


249 


for  January  3rd,  and  was  quite  the  most  successful 
entertainment  I ever  gave ! 

When  I undertook  it,  I confess  that  I had  no  idea 
how  many  little  ones  belonged  to  the  compound.  I 
sent  our  good  Ogita  round  to  invite  them  all  solemnly 
to  come  to  Ichiban  (Number  One)  on  the  3rd  at  five 
o’clock.  Ogita  threw  himself  into  the  business  with 
delighted  goodwill,  having  five  little  people  of  his 
own  to  include  in  the  invitation ; but  all  the  servants 
were  eager  to  help  as  soon  as  they  knew  we  were 
preparing  a treat  for  the  children.  That  is  work 
which  would  always  appeal  to  Japanese  of  any  age  or 
class.  No  trouble  is  too  great,  if  it  brings  pleasure  to 
the  treasure-flowers,”  as  the  babies  are  called.  I am 
still  too  ignorant  of  their  special  tastes  to  trust  my  own 

judgment  in  the  matter  of  presents ; so  Mr.  G 

left  the  dictionary  and  the  Chancery  for  two  or  three 
afternoons,  and  helped  me  to  collect  an  appropriate 
harvest  for  the  little  hands  to  glean.  Some  of  them 
were  not  little,  and  these  were  more  difficult  to  buy 
for ; but  after  many  cold  hours  passed  in  the  different 
bazaars,  it  seemed  to  me  that  there  must  be  something 
for  everybody,  although  we  had  really  spent  very  little 
money. 

The  wares  were  so  quaint  and  pretty  that  it  was 
a pleasure  to  sort  and  handle  them.  There  were 

workboxes  in  beautiful  polished  woods,  with  drawers 
fitting  so  perfectly  that  when  you  closed  one  the  com- 
pressed air  at  once  shot  out  another.  There  were 

mirrors  enclosed  in  charming  embroidered  cases ; for 


250 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


where  mirrors  are  mostly  made  of  metal,  people  learn 
not  to  let  them  get  scratched.  There  were  dollies  of 
every  size,  and  dolls’  houses  and  furniture,  kitchens, 
farmyards,  rice-pounding  machines  — all  made  in  the 
tiniest  proportions,  such  as  it  seemed  no  human  fingers 
could  really  have  handled.  For  the  elder  boys  we 
bought  books,  school-boxes  with  every  school  requisite 
contained  in  a square  the  size  of  one’s  hand,  and  pen- 
knives and  scissors,  which  are  greatly  prized  as  being 
of  foreign  manufacture.  For  decorations  we  had  an 
abundant  choice  of  materials.  I got  forests  of  willow 
branches  decorated  with  artificial  fruits ; pink  and  white 
balls  made  of  rice  paste,  which  are  threaded  on  the 
twigs ; surprise  shells  of  the  same  paste,  two  lightly 
stuck  together  in  the  form  of  a double  scallop  shell, 
and  full  of  miniature  toys ; kanzaslii,  or  ornamental 
hairpins  for  the  girls,  made  flowers  of  gold  and  silver 
among  my  dark  pine  branches  ; and  I w^asted  precious 
minutes  in  opening  and  shutting  these  dainty  roses  — 
buds  until  you  press  a spring,  when  they  open  suddenly 
into  a full-blown  rose.  But  the  most  beautiful  things 
on  my  tree  were  the  icicles,  which  hung  in  scores  from 
its  sombre  foliage,  catching  rosy  gleams  of  light  from 
our  lamps  as  we  worked  late  into  the  night.  These 
were  — chopsticks,  long  glass  chopsticks,  which  I dis- 
covered in  the  bazaar ; and  I am  sure  Santa  Klaus 
himself  could  not  have  told  them  from  icicles. 

Of  course  every  present  must  be  labelled  with  the 
child’s  name,  and  here  my  troubles  began.  Ogita  w^as 
told  to  make  out  a correct  list  of  names  and  ages. 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


253 


with  some  reference  to  the  calling  of  the  parents ; for 
even  here  rank  and  precedence  must  be  observed,  or 
terrible  heart-burnings  might  follow.  The  list  came 
at  last ; and  if  it  were  not  so  long,  I would  send  it 
to  you  complete,  for  it  was  a curiosity.  Imagine  such 
complicated  titles  as  these : Minister’s  second  cook’s 

girl.  Ume,  age  2”;  ‘^Minister’s  servant’s  cousin’s 
boy.  Age  11”;  “Student  interpreter’s  teacher’s  girl”; 
“ Vice-Consul’s  jinriksha-man’s  boy.”  And  so  it  went 
on,  till  there  were  fifty-eight  of  them  of  all  ages, 
from  one  year  up  to  nineteen.  Some  of  them,  indeed, 
were  less  than  a year  old ; and  I was  amused  on  the 
evening  of  the  2nd  at  having  the  list  brought  back 
to  me  with  this  note  (Ogita’s  English  is  still  highly 
individual !) : “ Marked  X is  declined  to  the  invitation.” 
On  looking  down  the  column,  I found  that  ominous- 
looking  cross  only  against  one  name,  that  of  Yasu, 

daughter  of  Ito  Kanejiro,  Mr.  G ’s  cook.  This 

recalcitrant  little  person  turned  out  to  be  six  weeks 
old  — an  early  age  for  parties  even  nowadays.  Miss 
Yasu,  having  been  born  in  November,  was  put  down 
in  the  following  January  as  two  years  old,  after  the 
puzzling  Japanese  fashion.  Then  I found  that  they 
would  write  boys  as  girls,  girls  as  boys,  grown-ups 
as  babies,  and  so  on.  Even  at  the  last  moment  a 
doll  had  to  be  turned  into  a sword,  a toy  tea-set  into 
a workbox,  a history  of  Europe  into  a rattle ; but 
people  who  grow  Christmas  trees  are  prepared  for 
such  small  contingencies,  and  no  one  knew  anything 
about  it  when  on  Friday  afternoon  the  great  tree 


254 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPA^^ 


slowly  glowed  into  a pyramid  of  light,  and  a long 
procession  of  little  Japs  was  marshalled  in,  with  great 
solemnity  and  many  bows,  till  they  stood,  a delighted, 
wide-eyed  crowd,  round  the  beautiful  shining  thing, 
the  first  Christmas  tree  any  one  of  them  had  ever 
seen.  It  was  worth  all  the  trouble,  to  see  the  gasp 
of  surprise  and  delight,  the  evident  fear  that  the  whole 
thing  might  be  unreal  and  suddenly  fade  away.  One 
little  man  of  two  fell  flat  on  his  back  with  amazement, 
tried  to  rise  and  have  another  look,  and  in  so  doing 
rolled  over  on  his  nose,  where  he  lay  quite  silent 
till  his  relatives  rescued  him.  Behind  the  children 
stood  the  mothers,  quite  as  pleased  as  they,  and  with 
them  one  very  old  lady  with  a little  child  on  her 
back.  She  turned  out  to  be  the  Vice-Consul’s  jinrik- 
sha-man’s  grandmother ; the  wife  of  that  functionary 
Avas  dead,  and  the  old  lady  had  to  take  her  place  in 
carrying  about  the  poor  little  V.C.J.R.S.M.’s  boy-baby. 

The  children  stood,  the  little  ones  in  front  and 
the  taller  ones  behind,  in  a semicircle,  and  the  many 
lights  showed  their  bright  faces  and  gorgeous  costumes, 
for  no  one  Avould  be  outdone  by  another  in  smartness  — 
I fancy  the  poorer  women  had  borrowed  from  richer 
neighbours  — and  the  result  was  picturesque  in  the 
extreme.  The  older  girls  had  their  heads  beautifully 
dressed,  with  flowers  and  pins  and  rolls  of  scarlet  crape 
knotted  in  between  the  coils ; their  dresses  were  pale 
green  or  blue,  with  bright  linings  and  stiff  silk  obis ; 
but  the  little  ones  were  a blaze  of  scarlet,  green, 
geranium  pink,  and  orange,  their  long  sleeves  sweeping 


SOME  JAPANESE  BABIES 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


257 


the  ground,  and  the  huge  flower  patterns  of  their  gar- 
ments making  them  look  like  live  flowers  as  they 
moved  about  on  the  dark  velvet  carpet.  When  they 
had  gazed  their  fill,  they  were  called  up  to  me  one 
by  one,  Ogita  addressing  them  all  as  ^^San”  (Miss  or 
Mr.),  even  if  they  could  only  toddle,  and  I gave  them 
their  serious  presents  with  their  names,  written  in 
Japanese  and  English,  tied  on  with  red  ribbon  — an 
attention  which,  as  I was  afterwards  told,  they  appreci- 
ated greatly.  It  seemed  to  me  that  they  never  would 
end ; their  size  varied  from  a wee  mite  who  could 
not  carry  its  own  toys  to  a tall  handsome  student  of 
sixteen,  or  a gorgeous  young  lady  in  green  and  mauve 
crape  and  a head  that  must  have  taken  the  best  part 
of  a day  to  dress. 

• In  one  thing  they  w^ere  all  alike  : their  manners 
were  perfect.  There  was  no  pushing  or  grasping,  no 
glances  of  envy  at  what  other  children  received,  no 
false  shyness  in  their  sweet  happy  way  of  expressing 
their  thanks.  I had  for  my  helpers  two  somewhat 
antagonistic  volunteers  — Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  basking 
in  Buddhistic  calms,  and  Bishop  Bickersteth,  intensely 
Anglican,  severe-looking,  ascetic.  There  had  already 
been  some  polite  theological  encounters  at  our  table, 
and  I did  not  feel  sure  that  the  combination  would 
prove  a happy  one.  But  each  man  is  a w^onder  of 
kind-heartedness  in  his  own  way ; and  my  doubts  were 
replaced  by  sunshiny  certainties,  when  I saw  how  they 
both  began  by  beaming  at  the  children,  and  ended 
by  beaming  on  one  another.  I was  puzzled  by  one 


VOL. 


S 


258 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


thing  about  the  children : although  we  kept  giving 
them  sweets  and  oranges  off  the  tree,  every  time  1 
looked  round  the  big  circle  all  were  empty-handed 
again,  and  it  really  seemed  as  if  they  must  have 
swallowed  the  gifts,  gold  paper  and  ribbon  and  all. 
But  at  last  I noticed  that  their  square  hanging  sleeves 
began  to  have  a strange  lumpy  appearance,  like  a 
conjuror’s  waistcoat  just  before  he  produces  tAventy- 
foiir  boAvls  of  live  goldfish  from  his  internal  economy; 
and  then  I understood  that  the  plunder  Avas  at  once 
dropped  into  these  great  sleeves  so  as  to  leave  hands 
free  for  anything  else  that  Okusama  might  think  good 
to  bestoAv.  One  little  lady.  O’ Ham  San,  aged  three, 
got  so  over-loaded  Avith  goodies  and  toys,  that  they 
kept  rolling  out  of  her  sleeves,  to  the  great  delight  of 
the  BroAvn  Ambassador  Dachshund,  Tip,  who  pounced 
on  them  like  lightning,  and  was  also  convicted  of 
nibbling  at  cakes  on  the  loAver  branches  of  the  tree. 
The  bigger  children  would  not  take  second  editions 
of  presents,  and  answered,  Honourable  thanks,  I 
have ! ” if  offered  more  than  they  thought  their  share ; 
but  babies  are  babies  all  the  Avorld  over ! When  the 
distribution  Avas  finished  at  last,  I got  a Japanese 
gentleman  to  tell  them  the  story  of  Christmas,  the 
children’s  feast ; and  then  they  came  up  one  by  one 
to  say  Sayonara  ” Since  it  must  be,”  the  Japanese 
farewell),  and  Arigato  gozaimasn”  (The  honourable 
thanks). 

Come  back  next  year,”  I said ; and  then  the  last 
presents  Avere  given  out  — beautiful  lanterns,  red,  lighted. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


259 


and  hung  on  what  Ogita  calls  humboos,  to  light  the 
guests  home  with.  One  tiny  maiden  refused  to  go,  and 
flung  herself  on  the  floor  in  a passion  of  weeping,  saying 
that  Okusama’s  house  was  too  beautiful  to  leave,  and  she 
would  stay  with  me  always  — yes,  she  would!  Only  the 
sight  of  the  lighted  lantern,  bobbing  on  a stick  twice  as 
long  as  herself,  persuaded  her  to  return  to  her  own  home 


PUTTING  UP  THE  LANTERNS 


in  the  servants’  quarters.  I stood  on  the  step,  the  same 
step  where  I had  set  the  fireflies  free  one  warm  night  last 
summer,  and  watched  the  little  people  scatter  over  the 
lawns,  and  disappear  into  the  dark  shrubberies,  their 
round  red  lights  dancing  and  shifting  as  they  went,  just 
as  if  my  fireflies  had  come  back,  on  red  wings  this  time, 
to  light  my  little  friends  to  bed. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


NEW  year’s  customs  AND  PRESENTS.  — PROPITIOUS  DREAMS, 
AND  HOW  MASAKO  BOUGHT  ONE.  — THE  DREAM  OF 

SUININ. PROHIBITION  OF  DUELLING.  — FEUDAL  IDEALS. 

— PICTURES  OF  A DAIMYO’S  LIFE.  — “ EYES  SPEAK 
BETTER  THAN  WORDS  ” 


WAS  SO  taken  up  with  our  own  doings  when  I 


last  wrote,  that  I forgot  to  tell  you  anything 
of  the  Japanese  New  Year  customs,  which  would  prob- 
ably have  interested  you  more.  It  is  the  time  when 
the  people,  from  highest  to  lowest,  make  holiday  — 
the  most  important  moment  of  the  whole  year.  For 
many  days  beforehand  preparations  were  on  foot  for 
keeping  the  feast  with  due  pomp.  New  clothes  were 
being  made  in  every  family  — clothes  as  smart  and 
bright  as  the  winter  season  and  people’s  purses  would 
allow.  Ogita  came  and  represented  to  me  that  it 
was  customary  to  pay  all  the  wages  on  December  30th 
instead  of  two  days  later,  when  they  Avould  naturally 
fall  due  ; and  this  because  all  debts  and  bills  must 
be  settled  before  the  New  Year  should  dawn.  All  the 
servants  had  new  liveries,  dark-blue  silk  robes  and 
black  silk  liaori,  or  coats,  with  their  master’s  crest 
embroidered  on  the  back  and  shoulders.  At  this  time 


January,  1890. 


260 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


261 


every  house  is 
cleaned  and  put 
in  repair ; sweet- 
smelling  new 
mats  are  laid 
down,  wherever 
people  can  afford 
them ; the  slid- 
ing screens  are 
covered  with 
fresh  paper ; and 
every  doorway, 
great  or  small,  is 
decorated  with 
garlands  of  pine 
and  bamboo, 
gemmed  with 
golden  oranges, 
which  twist  and 
swing  in  the  sun- 
shine,  while 
splendid  red  lob- 
sters brandish 
their  claws 
among  the  leaves 
and  fruit.  The 
lobsters  are  sym- 
bolic — of  great 
age ; and  the  gift  of  one  implies  a kind  wish  that  you 
may  live  until  you  are  bent  double  like  the  lobster. 


THE  HOME  OF  THE  PINE  TREES 


262 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


They  are  also  a favourite  food  among  the  people ; it 
sounds  absurd  to  us  to  call  them  decorative,  but  the 
Japanese  do  not  think  so,  and  employ  them  ornament- 
ally with  excellent  effect.  Across  the  garlanded  door- 
way, the  Shinto  emblem,  a thick  straw  rope,  beautifully 
plaited  and  knotted,  is  hung,  to  give  a blessing  to  the 
rest,  and  to  keep  out  all  evil  spirits ; and  on  either 
side  is  planted  a tall  bamboo,  decorated  with  its  own 
feathery  leaves,  and  with  branches  of  pine,  the  never- 
forgotten  emblem  of  happiness  and  fortitude.  The 
shops  are  full  of  such  presents  as  are  fitting  for  the 
festival.  Some  one  sent  me  a ship  of  happiness,  a 
junk,  about  two  feet  long,  all  worked  in  sweet  clean 
straw.  It  was  wreathed  with  twigs  of  pine,  and  loaded 
with  tiny  models  of  rice-bags  for  riches,  and  lobsters  for 
long  life ; the  mast  was  a growing  branch  of  pine,  and 
the  sails  were  gold  and  scarlet  paper,  bearing  auspicious 
inscriptions.  I was  rather  surprised  at  seeing  the  straw 
ships,  having  thought  that  these  were  only  used  for  the 
Bon  Matmri^  the  Festival  of  the  Dead,  which  occurs 
in  summer;  but  they  evidently  belong  to  the  New  Year 
as  well,  for  I see  many  in  the  Japanese  houses. 

The  streets  are  crowded  with  people  all  through 
the  last  night  of  the  year ; buying  and  selling  is  going 
on  everywhere  in  the  open  air,  in  spite  of  the  sharp 
cold ; and  it  is  only  when  the  dawn  has  broken  that 
the  good  folk  go  home  to  rest  for  an  hour  or  two 
before  beginning  their  round  of  visits  among  relations 
and  friends.  It  is  said  that  in  very  old  times  this  was 
the  only  whole  holiday  taken  by  many  of  the  working- 


NEW  year’s  wares 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


265 


classes  from  year’s  end  to  year’s  end.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  they  all  enter  into  it  with  joyful  eagerness 
now.  The  shops  send  out  ornamental  carts,  piled  high 
with  what  are  called  the  first  wares  of  the  New  Year  ; 
and  these  are  drawn  through  the  streets  by  parties  of 
shop-boys,  calling  attention  to  the  many  useful  articles 
they  have  to  sell.  On  the  2nd  of  January,  when  the 
excitements  of  New  Year’s  Day  have  subsided  a little, 
the  first  customer  in  every  shop  receives  a present, 
and  business  begins  very  early  indeed,  some  buyers 
starting  even  at  two  o’clock  in  the  morning  to  make 
sure  of  the  gift.  All  those  who  can  afford  it  get  new 
clothes  at  this  time ; there  are  few  so  poor  that  they 
cannot  spend  a few  sen  on  New  Year’s  presents,  and 
the  booths  show  such  piles  of  cheap  and  pretty  things 
tliat  one  begins  to  think  that  value  and  beauty  should 
be  calculated  here  on  inverse  ratios.  Many  of  the 
stalls,  both  in  the  street  and  the  enclosed  bazaars, 
are  devoted  to  battledores  of  every  variety  of  design; 
and  probably  many  thousands  are  sold  on  the  last  night 
of  the  3"ear,  since  on  the  1st  of  January  every  girl 
in  the  town,  from  the  babies  up  to  the  brides,  will 
be  playing  battledore  and  shuttlecock  through  most 
of  the  daylight  hours.  The  battledore  is  a bat-shaped 
wooden  instrument,  merely  painted  or  gilt  on  the  side 
meant  to  meet  the  shuttlecock  ; but  the  back  is  generally 
ornamented  with  reliefs  in  crape,  skilfully  combined 
with  painting  and  gilding.  One  will  bear  a scene 
in  history,  the  faces  of  the  figures  being  painted,  and 
their  garments  applied  in  moulded  bits  of  crape  and 


266 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


brocade.  Or  else  a Japanese  beauty  smiles  out  of  her 
window,  or  from  the  heart  of  a curling  peony  blossom  ; 
a snow  landscape,  the  white  rabbit  and  the  monkey 
Avho  live  in  the  moon,  a fierce  warrior,  or  a bunch  of 
blossoms  all  jostle  each  other,  and  are  solemnly  judged 


THE  RABBIT  AND  THE  MONKEY  WHO  LIVE  IN  THE  MOON 


and  contrasted  before  the  buyers  decide  which  to  take. 
Twenty-five  or  thirty  sen  (six-  or  sevenpence)  is  a good 
price  to  give  for  these  perfect  little  fancies.  More 
lovely,  however,  are  the  real  flowers,  the  early  plum 
and  dwarf  pines,  which  the  florists  offer  as  the  first- 
fruits  of  the  year. 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


2G7 


There  is  a great  temple  bell  near  us,  which  rang  in 
the  New  Year  solemnly  at  midnight  over  the  heads  of 
the  busy,  light-hearted  crowal.  One  hundred  and  eight 
strokes  rolled  slowly  from  the  deep  bronze  mouth,  and 
hung  in  long  vibration  on  the  air ; twelve  times  nine,  to 
ward  off  all  evil  from  the  city  for  the  incoming  year. 
No  one  seemed  to  take  much  notice  of  the  signal,  and  I 
fancy  many  people  even  stayed  out  in  the  streets  and 
restaurants  until  the  dawn,  when  the  more  pious  ones 
would  go  to  the  eastern  heights  of  the  city  to  see  the  first 
sunrise  {hatsu-hi-no-de)  — an  event  which  is  sure  to  bring 
good  luck  to  the  beholder.  Then  comes  a pilgrimage 
called  the  Happy-direction-going,”  for  which  a different 
temple  is  chosen  every  year  by  the  Bonses ; and  after 
this  the  visiting  and  feasting,  the  real  business  of  the 
day,  begins. 

It  is  very  important  to  start  the  year  with  propitious 
dreams ; but  as  those  of  its  first  night  might  be  unpleas- 
antly affected  by  the  conviviality  of  the  evening,  the  2nd 
of  January  has  been  chosen  as  the  night  whose  dreams 
truly  foretell  some  event  of  the  coming  year.  The  Jap- 
anese dream  doctrine  is  not  so  complicated  as  that  of  the 
Libro  dei  Sog7ii,  by  whose  aid  the  Romans  translate  their 
dreams  into  lottery  numbers ; but  it  is  well  laid  down, 
and  goes  into  many  quaint  details.  The  visions  of  the 
second  night  of  January  are  to  be  noted  down  as  soon  as 
possible ; and  then,  on  comparing  them  with  the  dream- 
book,  one  may  find  that  one  has,  as  it  were,  drawn  a 
large  cheque  on  the  bank  of  happiness.  Happiness  is 
foretold  generally,  and  on  a great  scale,  by  dreaming 


268 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


either  of  Fuji  San,  or  of  ascending  to  the  sky,  of  a falcon, 
or  of  an  egg  plant,  or  a very  fine  day.  If  you  dream 
that  you  are  struck  hy  lightning,  you  will  suddenly  grow 
rich;  but  do  not  dream  of  frost,  for  that  means  bad 
fortune  all  round.  A dream  of  eating  a pear  means 
divorce  (that  cloud  overhanging  the  Japanese  woman’s 
life) ; but  a mirror  or  a wine-cup  means  a beautiful  child. 
A dream  wind  portends  sickness ; rain,  a feast ; a mul- 
berry tree,  the  sickness  of  one’s  child.  It  is  rather 
touching  to  see  in  these  lists  so  many  evidences  of  the 
woman’s  imagination,  the  woman’s  fears,  the  woman’s 
circumscribed  life  and  her  intense  interest  in  its  small 
events.  For  one  dream  that  would  affect  a man’s  career 
there  are  twenty  that  would  go  to  the  heart  of  a woman’s 
existence ; and  I think  the  wfise  astrologer  has  had  to 
answer  many  an  anxious  wife  or  mother,  and  has  pre- 
pared his  book  chiefly  for  her.  He  does  not  say  that  you 
can  buy  a lucky  dream  from  some  one  else  ; but  there  is 
a story  in  Japanese  feudal  history  which  seems  to  imply 
that  one  can. 

The  story  goes  that  Masako,  the  wife  of  Yoritomo, 
bought  an  auspicious  dream  from  her  younger  sister, 
paying  her  with  a beautiful  mirror,  the  day  before  Yori- 
tomo sent  her  a love  letter.  Yoritomo  was  in  exile  then ; 
but  Masako  persuaded  her  father  to  espouse  his  cause, 
and  in  the  end  he  overthrew  all  his  enemies,  and  came 
to  great  power  and  glory,  and  Masako  sat  by  his  side, 
all  for  a dream’s  sake. 

There  is  a still  older  dream  story  in  the  chronicles 
of  Japan.  In  the  first  years  of  our  era,  there  reigned 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


269 


in  Japan  an  Emperor  called  Suinin,  who  lived,  if  dates 
be  true,  to  a very  great  age.  He  had  the  misfortune  to 
be  married  to  a woman  whose  brother  desired  to  supplant 
him  on  the  throne.  The  Empress  loved  her  husband, 
but  she  loved  her  brother 
more ; and  when  the  latter 
gave  her  a dagger  and 
bade  her  slay  the  Emperor 
in  his  sleep,  she  promised 
that  so  would  she  do. 

And  one  day  the  Emperor, 
weary  with  care,  laid  his 
head  on  her  knees  and 
slept ; and  she  knew  that 
the  time  had  come,  and 
looked  down  once  more  on 
the  face  of  her  husband 
whom  she  loved,  and  hot 
tears  fell  on  his  face  as 
she  looked;  and  he  awoke, 
crying  out  that  he  had 

had  an  ominous,  terrible 
dream.  And  he  sat  up  wakkiok  with  ckescent 

and  told  her  the  dream : a wet  rain  wind  in  his  face,  and 
a small  crimson  snake  round  his  neck — such  was  his 
dream.  And  he  looked  into  her  face  as  he  told  it ; and 
she  fell  down  before  him,  and  wept  bitterly,  and  con- 
fessed her  own  and  her  brother’s  crime.  So  the  Emperor 
was  saved ; and  the  Empress  fled  to  her  brother,  and 
perished  in  his  palace,  which  was  burnt  down. 


270 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


It  seems  as  if  the  last  trace  of  the  old  feudal  life 
had  been  wiped  out  now ; for  the  Emperor  has  just 
issued  a stringent  prohibition  against  duelling,  imposing 
heavy  penalties  for  fighting  or  attending  a duel,  and 
ranking  the  killing  of  an  opponent  as  ordinary  murder,^ 
to  be  punished  to  Ihe  full  extent  provided  for  by  the 
criminal  law.  But  I think  it  will  be  a long  time 
before  the  old  feudal  heroes  cease  to  be  the  idols  of  the 
people,  the  patterns  and  ideals  set  before  the  boys  of 
to-day  from  their  earliest  childhood.  Every  picture- 
book  is  full  of  their  exploits ; every  flower  show  sets 
forth  their  adventures  in  wonderful  lifelike  groups ; and 
even  I,  a stranger  of  the  strangers,  cannot  help  being 
intensely  attracted  and  interested  by  the  atmosphere  of 
pure  romance  which  hangs  around  their  names.  The 
lower  classes  still  have  their  idols ; witness  the  daily 
pilgrimages  and  the  splendid  flower  offerings  at  the 
tombs  of  the  fanatics  who  have  tried  to  arrest  the 
modernisation  of  their  country  by  murdering  the  men 
who  were  in  favour  of  it.  May  a little  of  his  spirit 
descend  upon  us ! ” cry  the  soslii,  reaching  out  for  some- 
thing to  satisfy  their  hunger  for  the  ideals  of  a dead 
chivalry.  As  for  the  nobles,  their  close  reserve  makes 
it  difficult  to  know  what  they  really  feel;  but  a poignant 
regret  for  the  past  will  sometimes  show  itself  in  a look 
or  a word. 

Why  do  you  not  wear  these  lovely  things  ?”  I asked 
of  one  of  the  Empress’s  ladies,  as  we  were  looking  over 
a pile  of  antique  robes,  embroidered  in  bewildering  beauty 
of  silk  and  colour  and  gold. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


271 


There  are  no  Daimyos’  houses  now,”  she  replied, 
with  flasliing  eyes ; do  you  think  we  would  show 
ourselves  to  the  common  people  in  those  costumes  ? ” 

I have  a little  picture-book  which  purports  to  give 
drawings  of  all  the  warlike  occupations  of  a great 


feudal  chief. 

The  variety  and 
importance  of 
them  make  the 
militarv  life  of 
to-day  look 
common  by  con- 
trast. The  first 
picture  given  is 
the  portrait  of  a 
warrior  belong- 
ing to  the  half- 
m y thological 
period  of  Jim- 
mu  Tenno  (660 
B.c.) ; the  face 
is  extremely 
liandsome,  and 
is  of  a strongly 
marked  Assyr- 
ian type,  in  spite  of  the  oblique  eyebrows.  From  this  to 
the  next  picture  there  is  a little  jump  of  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  or  so,  when  a warrior  of  Hideyoshi’s  time  is 
shown  in  full  uniform,  lacquered  armour,  foxtail  sword- 
sheath,  helmet  be-dragoned  like  King  Arthur’s,  and 


ANTIQUE  ROBE,  KIMONO  BACK 


272 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


feet  shod  with  bear-fur  sandals.  His  arms  are  bow 
and  arrows,  two  swords,  and  the  iron  battle-fan  which 
one  sees  preserved  in  some  of  the  museums  — an  effec- 
tive weapon  at  close  quarters,  but  giving  a strange  air 
of  foppishness  to  the  man,  who  carries  it  lightly  in  his 
right  hand,  while  the  left  grasps  the  huge  bow.  He 
sits  on  a camp-stool,  over  which  is  thrown  a fur  rug, 
and  is  having  a serious  colloquy  with  a brother-chief, 
who  sits  cross-legged  on  a mat,  in  cool  undress,  also 
holding  a fan,  while  his  armour  is  thrown  behind  him 
in  a palanquin  built  in  shelves,  especially  made  for 
carrying  it  in.  Then  in  my  picture-book  come  journeys, 
where  the  common  people  gaze  open-mouthed  at  the 
proud  young  Dairnyo  travelling  past  in  state;  and  at 
last  he  reaches  his  own  home,  where,  for  some  reason 
not  explained,  it  becomes  necessary  to  cut  out  and 
make  a new  standard.  This  is  a ceremony  which  must 
have  the  blessing  of  the  gods,  and  a sacrificial  table  is 
placed  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  incense  and  sake  and 
rice  are  offered  on  stools  all  round  it,  and  in  the  centre 
is  set  up  what  looks  like  the  Shinto  emblem,  a short 
pole  with  quantities  of  prayer  leaflets  attached  to  it. 
Near  by,  in  rapt  attention,  the  Dairnyo  sits  in  full  dress ; 
a young  page  squats  behind  him,  holding  his  sword ; and 
another  personage,  dressed  like  a Bonse,  is  also  in  attend- 
ance. The  standard-makers  kneel  at  opposite  ends  of  an 
oblong  board,  which  is  the  body  of  the  standard,  and  are 
fitting  on  it  a scroll,  which  the  younger  of  the  two  is 
about  to  cut  with  a long  knife.  Their  bows  and  arrows 
and  swords  lie  beside  them,  laid  out  with  geometrical 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


273 


precision  on  the  floor ; and  from  the  profound  solemnity 
of  all  the  faces  one  can  gather  that  standard-making 
was  a ceremony  of  the  gravest  importance. 

Then  comes  a scene  connected  with  New  Year’s  Day, 
when  an  enormous  rice-cake  {mochi)  was  offered  to  the 
god  of  war,  and  afterwards  divided  among  the  men  and 
boys  of  the  family.  The  god  is  personified  by  the 
Daimyo’s  armour,  laid  in  an  open  box  in  the  place  of 
honour.  On  a stool. before  it  is  an  offering  of  pine 
boughs  and  bamboo  leaves  and  lobsters,  just  such  things 
as  are  in  every  house  in  Tokyo  to-day ; and  the  Daimyo 
near  by,  with  sake  and  cakes  before  him,  and  his  swords 
on  the  floor  by  his  side,  sits  and  watches  two  3^ouths  of 
his  household,  who  are  dividing  two  huge  cakes  with  a 
bow-string.  Why  a bow-string?”  I asked,  puzzled  at 
the  unusual  detail.  Because,”  said  my  friend,  smiling 
gravely,  since  the  cake  is  offered  to  the  god  of  war,  it 
would  be  too  personal,  what  we  should  call  rude,  to  use  a 
knife.  That  is  his  own  property  and  connected  with 
bloodshed;  so  on  an  auspicious  day  like  this  one,  and 
for  a feast  in  his  honour,  it  could  not  be  employed.” 

There  are  wonderful  pictures  of  fights  by  sea  and 
land : the  Daimyo  (alwa^^s  the  same  smooth-faced 

haughty  young  lord)  conquers  his  enemies,  sinks  their 
junks,  takes  them  prisoners,  accepts  their  presents 
scornfully  on  the  end  of  his  spear,  and  finally  has  a 
triumph  like  that  of  a Roman  consul ; then  he  seeks 
relaxation  in  warlike  games,  such  as  shooting  at  a ring 
as  he  flies  past  on  his  galloping  steed,  hunting  with 
falcons,  and  (the  least  warlike  of  games  this  last)  shoot- 


VOL.  I 


T 


274 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


ing  blunt  arrows  at  a poor  dog,  who  howls  as  he 
is  driven  past.  My  friend  turned  this  page  quickly, 
murmuring  an  apology  for  the  cruelties  of  feudalism, 
and  we  came  on  a delightful  scene  in  a corner  of  the 

princely  household, 
where  the  keeper  of 
the  falcons  sits  on  a 
step  of  the  verandah 
tipping  arrows  with 
feathers,  and  squint- 
ing down  the  arrow’s 
length  to  see  if  it  is 
straight,  just  as  the 
English  boy  squints 
down  the  spine  of  his 
bat.  The  feathers  are 
being  heated  in  the 
hibachi  before  he  uses 
them ; and  opposite  is 
the  man’s  wife,  a 
woman  of  the  people, 
untidy  and  querulous, 
scolding  violently 
about  something  with- 
out making  the  slight- 
est impression  on  the  man,  who  is  absorbed  in  the 
interest  of  his  work.  On  the  front  verandah  (for  you 
see  right  through  the  dwelling)  is  my  lord’s  lacquered 
luncheon-box,  with  its  silken  cords ; while  thrown  in  a 
corner  in  a careless  heap  is  the  humble  outfit  of  the 


THE  DAIMYO  ACCEPTS  A PRESP^NT 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


275 


keeper.  A splendid  falcon  -sits  outside  on  a lacquered 
perch  in  the  sunshine ; and  the  keeper’s  dog,  a rough 
puppy,  has  rolled  himself  up  in  the  shade  of  the  step. 
Behind  the  man  himself,  on  the  farther  verandah,  the 
Daimyo’s  horse  is  enjoying  a good  feed,  his  nose  in  a 
bucket,  a clean  napkin  carefully  tied  round  his  neck. 
The  very  spirit  of  feudalism  breathes  in  the  queer  little 
picture  — the  old  idolatrous  respect  for  the  chief  and 
his  belongings,  and  the  self-effacement  of  the  plebeian 
before  the  noble. 

I did  not  realise  the  intense  difficulty  of  translating 
our  thoughts  into  Japanese  words  till  the  day  after 
our  Christmas  tree,  when  O’ Matsu  came  to  me  looking 
very  puzzled,  and  said  that  she  would  like  to  ask  a 
question : why  did  Irnai  San  (the  gentleman  who  made 
the  little  address  explaining  the  meaning  of  Christmas) 
say  such  a dreadful  thing  about  ‘Mesu  Sama”?  He 
had  said  that  Jesu  Sama  was  put  into  a bucket,  such  a 
thing  as  the  ponies  have  their  food  in ! That  seemed 
very  horrible  and  undignified  to  her.  I tried  to 
explain  that  in  Palestine  the  animals  did  not  eat  out 
of  buckets;  but  I saw  that  I made  very  little  im- 
pression. Imai  San  was  a man,  and  a Japanese,  and 
evidently  my  Bible  history  carried  no  weight  in  com- 
parison to  his.  A day  or  two  after  this  I sent  all 
the  maids  and  children  down  to  the  Convent  in  Tsukiji, 
where  my  friends  the  nuns  had  made  a beautiful  creche 
for  their  children.  Here,  in  lifelike  figures,  were  the 
Mother  and  the  Babe,  Joseph  and  the  Shepherds,  and 
the  crib  with  its  straw,  all  the  scene  splendidly  deco- 


276 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


rated  with  pine  branches  and  imitation  snow  and  gold 
paper  stars.  O’Matsu  came  back  beaming.  I under- 
stand it  all  now,”  she  told  me  ; eyes  speak  better  than 
words.  Buckets,  indeed ! ” and  she  laughed  trium- 
phantly. The  children,  great  and  small,  were  enchanted 
with  the  nuns’  grotto,  and  came  in  little  parties  to  thank 
me  for  sending  them  to  see  it. 


STREET  IN  WINTER 


CHAPTER  XV 


A CABINET  MINISTER  AND  A FORTIFIED  CARRIAGE.  — A 
MEMORIAL  TO  THE  THRONE.  — COUNT  ITO  AND  TREATY 
REVISION.  — THE  JAPANESE  SPRING.  — “ THE  ELDEST 
BROTHER  OF  THE  HUNDRED  FLOWERS.”  — POPULAR 
FESTIVALS 

Tokyo,  February,  1890. 

‘XTERY  little  of  interest  has  been  happening  in  the 
^ political  world.  Count  Okuina  has  recovered 
entirely  from  his  wound,  and  has  made  a little  testimo- 
nial to  the  trained  nurses  from  the  Charity  Hospital  who 
tended  him  during  his  long  imprisonment.  He  sent 
them  some  valuable  presents,  as  he  also  did  to  the  sur- 
geons who  operated  on  his  unhappy  limb ; and  now  he 
pretends  to  laugh  over  the  disaster  of  its  loss.  But  he 
will  not  take  office  again  at  present,  preferring  to  have 
the  rank  of  Privy  Councillor,  which  admits  of  his  offer- 
ing an  opinion,  without  holding  the  portfolio,  which 
would  be  as  yet  too  heavy  a tax  on  his  strength. 

His  successor,  Viscount  Aoki,  strikes  one  as  a man 
hardly  great  enough  yet  to  deal  with  the  question  of 
Treaty  Revision,  the  only  question  of  any  importance 
before  the  Government  just  now.  But  he  has  knowledge, 
and  patience ; also  he  is  modest,  and  apparently  not  fired 
by  personal  ambition  or  party  feeling,  so  that  greatness 


277 


278 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


may  not  be  far  off.  I pity  him  sincerely.  The  post  of 
Foreign  Minister  is  so  little  sought  after,  that,  since 
Count  Okuma’s  accident,  it  seems  difficult  to  find  any- 
body of  the  right  kind  to  fill  it ; and  the  man  who  does 
so  carries  his  life  in  his  hands. 

I watched  Viscount  Aoki  drive  up  to  our  own  door 
a day  or  two  ago.  He  was  seated  in  an  open  victoria 
wdth  the  hood  raised,  and  inside  the  hood  on  either  hand 
hung  a revolver  in  a leather  pocket,  with  a heavy  chain 
fastening  it  to  a ring  in  the  carriage  frame.  The 
weapons  are  carefully  loaded  before  the  Minister  takes 
his  airing,  and  I fancy  that  any  stranger  who  tried  to 
stop  the  carriage  or  looked  into  it  suddenly  would  have 
rather  a sensational  reception.  Three  detectives  in  plain 
clothes  accompany  him,  as  well  as  a policeman,  who  sits 
on  the  box.  The  effect  is  thah  of  a condemned  criminal, 
or  a dangerous  lunatic  out  with  his  keepers.  Madame 
-Aoki  tells  me  that  the  constant  watch  and  guard  make 
life  quite  intolerable.  Wherever  she  and  her  husband 
go,  if  it  be  only  for  a turn  in  their  own  garden,  the 
policeman^  appears,  and  follows  at  a not  too  respectful 
distance,  admiring  the  flowers  and  assiduously  pretending 
that  he  does  not  hear  a word  of  their  conversation.  She 
confided  to  me  that  they  occasionally  amuse  themselves 
by  giving  their  protectors  the  slip,  stealing  out  like  run- 
away children  by  a door  which  opens  on  a side-street, 
whence,  plainly  dressed  and  on  foot,  they  can  take  some- 
thing like  a walk.  I believe  that  the  consternation  is 
great  when  it  is  found  that  the  Minister  has  really  left 
his  own  grounds  unprotected  by  the  law,  and  the  detec- 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


279 


tives  generally  run  him  to  earth  and  come  home  with 
him  again. 

It  all  seems  rather  useless,  for  Treaty  Revision  is 
far  less  active  than  it  was,  and  the  disputes  about  the 
question  of  Foreign  Judges  threaten  to  break  up  the 
negotiations  altogether.  The  public  here,  the  mass  of 
middle-class,  fairly  well-educated  people,  have  outgrown 
the  stage  (existing  honestly  a few  years  ago)  when  they 
would  tolerate  the  temporary  employment  of  foreign 
judges  sitting  in  Japanese  law  courts  conjointly  with 
the  native  judges,  to  ensure  justice  to  any  foreigner  who 
might  be  brought  up  for  trial.  The  arrangement  was 
only  intended  to  last  a certain  time,  until  the  Japanese 
should  have  shown  themselves  capable  of  understanding 
and  impartially  administering  their  new  laws,  which 
are  not  yet  entirely  codified.  Count  Okuma  and  other 
members  of  the  Government  were  in  favour  of  the  ad- 
mission of  foreign  judges  in  cases  where  foreigners  were 
concerned ; but  the  vernacular  press,  the  soslii,  the  people 
in  general,  have  reached  a stage  in  political  development 
where  bumptiousness  takes  the  place  of  prudence ; they 
consider  that  the  concession  would  be  an  insult  to  their 
national  integrity.  But  our  own  Government  will  not 
go  back  on  the  proposition,  feeling  that  Japan  is  still  too 
young  to  the  ways  of  justice  to  be  trusted  blindly  and 
entirely  with  the  liberty,  the  property,  perhaps  the  lives 
of  British  subjects.  This  is  the  now  famous  nineteenth 
article  of  the  proposed  treaty.  It  cannot  be  granted,  and 
it  cannot  be  renounced ; hence  a pause  in  the  endless 
negotiations  — a pause  during  which  the  Cabinet  seems 


280 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


to  be  constantly  unmaking  itself,  to  be  built  up  in  a dif- 
ferent manner  with  most  of  the  same  names,  a process 
which  reminds  me  of  nothing  so  much  as  of  the  children’s 
boxes  of  coloured  bricks,  where  the  same  fragments  serve 
as  an  arch,  a doorstep,  a fireplace,  or  a pediment,  accord- 
ing to  which  of  its  six  sides  you  turn  uppermost.  No 
sooner  have  I learnt  which  peer  holds  which  portfolio 
than  they  all  — excuse  the  simile  — seem  to  toss  them 
into  the  air,  and  catch  who  catch  them  can  in  the  fall. 
The  San  jo  Cabinet,  however,  has  retired  with  some 
majesty.  Its  farewell  was  a very  earnest  appeal,  em- 
bodied in  a memorial  to  the  throne,  to  increase  the 
responsibility  of  Ministers  and  to  build  up  the  power 
and  dignity  of  the  Cabinet  by  first  making  it  respon- 
sible in  full  for  all  measures  promulgated  by  individual 
Ministers ; secondly,  by  making  each  Minister  sign  the 
orders  for  his  own  department,  instead  of  having  to  have 
them  countersigned  by  the  Minister  President,  as  is  now 
the  case,  before  they  can  take  effect  — an  arrangement 
which,  says  the  memorial,  throws  too  much  power  into 
the  hands  of  one  man  ; thirdly,  that  whatever  passes  at 
Cabinet  Councils  be  kept  absolutely  secret,  the  obligation 
of  silence  not  ceasing  with  the  retirement  of  its  members. 
In  fact,  the  whole  memorial  is  a plea  for  responsibility, 
unity,  and  reticence  as  the  only  means  by  which  the  Cabi- 
net can  maintain  its  proper  position  in  the  State  or  carry 
out  the  functions  entrusted  to  it.  The  coming  elections 
and  the  opening  of  the  Imperial  Diet  are  referred  to  as 
rendering  the  proposed  measures  absolutely  necessary  to 
ensure  the  harmony  and  efficiency  of  the  Government. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


281 


Count  I to  kept  out  of  all 
this  very  carefully.  Watching 
him  as  I do  from  the  place  of 
the  unlearned,  I have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  has  a 
strong  sense  of  dramatic  effect 
and  of  the  wisdom  of  inactivity 
when  other  people  are  doing 
dangerous  work  or  seem  on  the 
point  of  making  fools  of  them- 
selves. His  prolonged  reluctance 
to  take  office  probably  comes 
from  this  acute  sense  of  self-preservation,  combined,  as  1 
have  said,  with  the  other  sense  of  the  value  of  dra- 
matic effect.  Is  the  Cabinet  torn  with  dissensions  or 
in  despair  because  Great  Britain  will  not  yield  that 
one  little  Article  XIX.,  are  the  soshi  rampant  and  the 
Radical  newspapers  being  suppressed  by  scores,  every 
one  cries  out.  Where  is  Count  Ito  ? Where  is  the  man 
who  made  the  Constitution  and  brought  in  the  for- 
eigners ? Then  Count  Ito  is  sure  to  be  in  his  beautiful 
villa  at  Odawara,  contemplating  the  codification  of  the 
laws,  or  the  growth  of  his  rhododendrons,  or  something 
equally  impersonal  and  removed  from  the  sphere  of 
dispute.  He  is  entreated  to  return,  to  advise  his  sov- 
ereign, to  strengthen  his  party,  to  pacify  and  reassure 
the  public ; and  he  always  comes  and  does  it.  And 
it  seems  to  me  at  these  times  that  when  the  others 
have  done  all  the  drudgery,  then  he  reaps  the  glory 
of  some  popular  measure ; or  it  goes  the  other  way  — 


COUNT  (now  marquis)  ITO 


282 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


an  unpopular  thing  must  be  done,  a bad  moment 
passed,  moral  accounts  faced ; then  Count  Ito  feels  an 
irresistible  desire  for  peace  and  retirement,  and  bis  col- 
leagues have  to  do  without  him,  until  the  scene  is 
properly  set  for  him  to  step  forward  again.  He  is  a 
very  astute  yet  broad  thinker,  unscrupulous  and  ruth- 
less, has  absolute  control  of  personal  emotions  and 
ambitions  — all  that  which  constitutes  ^^tbe  moment” 
with  its  opportunity  or  its  danger;  and  any  one  who 
knows  him  would,  I fancy,  lay  heavy  odds  on  the 
probability  of  his  ultimately  attaining  any  object  which 
he  considered  important  enough  to  desire. 

The  regulations  have  been  published  for  the  coming 
elections,  and  have  caused  a good  deal  of  interest.  In 
order  to  vote,  a Japanese  subject  must  be  twenty-^ve 
years  of  age,  and  must  have  been  paying  direct  taxes 
to  the  amount  of  fifteen  yen  yearly  for  at  least  a year 
before  the  day  when  the  electoral  lists  are  made  up, 
April  1st  of  this  year.  The  actual  election  day  will  be 
July  1st,  and  stringent  measures  will  be  taken  to  keep 
it  peaceable  and  orderly.  We  shall  be  away  in  the 
hills  I hope  in  July ; but  I shall  look  forward  with  great 
interest  to  the  opening  of  the  Diet  in  November. 

V November  seems  very  far  away  just  now.  The 
spring  is  here,  young  and  weak  as  yet ; but  every  day 
adds  something  to  its  conquests  from  winter.  Already 
in  January  the  early  plum  bloomed  in  w^hite  fiakes 
that  might  have  been  mistaken  for  falling  snow  but 
for  the  crimson  knot  that  held  it  to  the  grey  branch. 
These  valiant  fragile  blossoms  are  greatly  endeared  to 


UME  SAX  COMES  RUNNING  OUT  TO  GATHER  THE  FIRST  BLOSSOMS  OF  HER 
SISTER  NAMESAKE 


1 

\ 


] 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


285 


the  Japanese,  because  they  come  long  before  one  lias 
a right  to  expect  open-air  liowers  at  all.  One  warm 
midday  hour,  perhaps  between  snow  and  snow,  will 
give  them  courage  to  shed  their  brown  sheaths  and 
shake  out  their  ethereal  petals  to  the  tepid  sunshine. 
But  they  go  with  the  snow  too ; only  for  a few  days  do 
they  rejoice  us  with  the  certain  promise  of  a yet  invisible 
spring,  and  then,  yielding  to  wind  and  snowstorm,  they 
dance  on  their  airy  way ; the  tree  is  bare  of  their  beauty 
long  before  a leaf  has  dared  to  show  itself,  but  their 
message  was  given  faithfully,  and  the  later  flowers 
will  keep  all  the  promises  that  the  early  plum  had 
made  for  them.  Eldest  brother  of  the  hundred  flowers, 
as  it  is  called  here,  a whole  body  of  poetry  and  tradi- 
tion has  grown  up  round  the  shy  evanescent  blossom 
which  passes  so  soon  and  leaves  such  a rich  harvest 
of  fruit  for  early  summer’s  garnering.  I think  I saw 
the  first  flowers  in  Viscount  Hijikata’s  garden  on 
January  13th;  but  the  spot  is  a sheltered  one,  and 
other  trees  did  not  follow  till  much  later.  Now,  in 
these  early  February  days,  the  plum-gardens  are  in 
full  bloom,  and  crowded  with  enthusiastic  visitors,  who, 
undaunted  by  the  snow,  go  to  admire  what  they  call 
the  Silver  World,”  a world  with  snow  on  the  paths 
and  snow  on  the  branches,  while  snowy  petals,  with 
the  faintest  touch  of  glow-worm  green  at  the  heart, 
go  whirling  along  on  the  last  gust  of  wind  from  the 
bay.  At  night,  when  all  is  quiet  and  the  second  watch- 
man has  gone  his  rounds,  an  eerie  cry  is  heard ; and 
if  I step  out  on  the  verandah  and  look  up,  I see  a 


286 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


string  of  three  or  four  wild  geese  passing  swiftly 
between  me  and  the  stars,  their  long  necks  strained  in 
the  speed  of  their  flight,  the  head  cleaving  the  air  as 
a prow  cleaves  the  water,  and  the  whole  body  flung 
after  it  through  space  with  an  intensity  of  motion 
shown  in  the  flight  of  no  other  bird,  I think.  Night 
after  night  they  pass,  with  the  long  piercing  cry  that 
the  north  wind  must  have  taught  them,  and  their  flight 
is  always  northwards ; but  I think  they  come  back  in 
the  dawn  when  I am  asleep,  for  it  is  too  early  for  their 
migration  to  begin,  and  they  would  fly  in  different 
order  and  larger  bodies  if  they  Avere  starting  on  it. 
We  think  they  have  feeding-grounds  on  the  north 
side  of  the  town,  which  they  are  too  shy  to  visit  in 
the  daytime.  The  Japanese,  however,  connect  their 
migration  with  the  appearance  of  the  early  plum,  and 
the  poets  bewail  them  for  having  to  fly  aAvay  from  so 
much  loveliness.  The  plum’s  own  bird  is  the  uguisu, 
the  Japanese  nightingale,  the  sAveetest  of  singers ; but 
I have  not  heard  her  yet  this  spring,  and  last  year 
she  did  not  sing  till  May,  Avhen  Ave  arrived. 

There  are  so  many  kinds  of  plum  trees  that  one  or 
other  of  them  blooms  from  noAv  to  midsummer.  To- 
day’s snow  blossom  Avill  be  folloAved  by  double  white 
ones  and  pink  ones,  deep  crimson  too,  that  never 
bear  a fruit;  some  are  long  trails  of  blossom  growing 
obediently  in  a perfect  bell  shape  round  a gnarled 
morsel  of  trunk  in  a pale-green  porcelain  pot ; others 
make  a mist  of  Avhiteness  Avaving  against  the  sky 
from  the  black  branches,  stiff  and  knotted,  A\diich  the 


PRESENTING  THE  TREE  WITH  A POEM  IN  PRAISE  OF  THE  SPRING 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


289 


Japanese  consider  characteristic  of  the  plum,  and  culti- 
vate with  extreme  care.  The  show  plum-gardens  take 
rank  according  to  the  age  and  ruggedness  of  their 
trees,  which  furnish  a sharp  contrast  to  the  delicate 
snowy  petals  of  the  flower.  This  contrast  seems  to 
me  to  lie  at  the  root  of  many  theories  of  beauty  of 
the  Japanese,  and  is  so  desirable  in  their  eyes  that 
they  obtain  it  by  means  of  almost  dishonest  artificiality. 
The  knotty  bark  of  the  plum  is  emblematic  of  old  age, 
and  the  year’s  first  bud  is  the  symbol  of  extreme 
youth;  therefore  the  tree  must  be  made  to  look  as 
old  as  possible,  and  the  true  enthusiasts  go  to  view 
and  rave  over  the  blossoms  while  they  are  still  hard 
little  buttons  with  scarcely  a touch  of  white. 

This  is  the  condition  in  which  the  gardener  brings 
them  to  decorate  my  rooms;  and  when  I expostulate 
and  say  that  I want  flowers,  not  sticks,  he  shakes  his 
head  and  draws  in  his  breath,  and  bends  double  in  a 
bow,  all  of  which  is  meant  to  hide  his  disappointment 
at  my  impatience  and  want  of  artistic  feeling.  The 
worst  of  it  is  that  I fancy  he  is  right  and  I am  wrong ! 
He  Avould  give  me  the  pleasure  of  watching  the  little 
brown  sheaths  burst  and  shed  themselves,  of  seeing 
the  closely  crinkled  petals  unfold  to  the  daylight  like 
a new-born  baby’s  hand,  of  breathing  in  the  first  whiffs 
of  the  faint  fine  scent,  so  sweet  and  distinctive  that 
the  Japanese  say  the  nightingale  can  find  the  tree  in 
the  dark  by  its  perfume ; all  this  I should  lose  if  Nara- 
take  Ginsemon,  the  gnome  of  scissors  and  string  and 
brown  mould,  brought  me  masses  of  ready  spread  bloom. 


VOL.  I 


U 


290 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


So  I take  patience,  and  we  add  warm  tea  to  the  water 
in  which  they  stand,  and  in  a day  or  two  the  long  hall 
and  the  sunny  drawing-rooms  are  a bower  of  bloom, 
more  beautiful  even  than  the  groves  of  the  Kecumbent 
Dragon  ” at  Kameido,  where  the  old  trees  almost  creep 
on  the  ground,  and  look,  in  their  moonshine  mist  of 
blossom,  like  a withered  old  witch  in  a bridal  veil. 

There  is  a feast  called  The  First  Rabbit  of  Janu- 
ary,” which  is  celebrated  in  this  same  temple  at 
Kameido,  chiefly  associated  in  European  minds  with  the 
splendid  show  of  wistaria  blossoms  later  in  the  year. 
Here  the  memory  of  a great  scholar,  Sugawara  Michi- 
zane,  is  venerated.  He  lived  some  sixteen  centuries 
ago,  but  is  still  believed  to  take  so  much  interest  in 
literature  that  ambitious  youths  write  poems  in  large 
characters  on  paper  and  burn  them  at  his  tomb. 
Anxiously  they  watch  the  whirling  ashes ; and  if  they 
are  carried  high  in  the  air,  the  scholar  may  go  home 
satisfied,  for  his  great  aspirations  will  be  fulfilled. 

People  here  have  carried  the  power  of  will  and 
imagination  to  such  completeness  that  they  have  suc- 
ceeded in  limiting  the  winter  to  a few  short  weeks, 
which  end  on  December  22nd,  when  the  shortest  day 
is  past,  and  theoretical  spring  begins.  Then  the  last 
chrysanthemnms  are  still  hanging  on  in  our  warm 
rooms,  and  seem  to  look  askance  at  the  jonquils, 
propped  with  pebbles  in  their  flat  dishes,  brought  in 
by  the  gardener,  who  has  been  nursing  them  in  some 
dark  corner  of  his  house  until  they  were  ripe  enough, 
in  his  eyes  at  least,  for  drawing-room  decoration.  To  us 


A MOONLIGHT  PICNIC 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


293 


they  still  look  cold  and  raw ; but  in  the  first  night  their 
grey  silk  envelope  is  broken,  and  morning  finds  them  all 
staring  about  the  room  as  if  just  awakened  from  sleep. 
It  is  thought  lucky  to  have  them  open  for  the  New  Year, 
an  easy  matter  when  New  Year’s  Day  was  a movable 
feast,  falling  near  the  end  of  January  or  even  later,  as 
it  did  formerly  in  Japan,  but  involving  some  effort 
since  the  introduction  of  the  European  calendar. 

Although  winter  is  thus  shortened  in  theory,  no 
one  dreams  of  leaving  off  winter  clothes  until  April, 
or  even  May,  for  the  cold  is  apt  to  return  at  any 
time,  and  nobody  cares  to  have  brightly  coloured  gar- 
ments ruined  by  a sudden  storm.  The  thick  wadded 
clothes  worn  make  it  possible  for  people  to  have  win- 
ter picnics,  when  they  sit  in  open  verandahs,  making 
poems  to  the  moonlight  on  the  snow.  The  pictures  of 
such  entertainments  generally  give  the  guests  an  ex- 
pression of  concentrated  melancholy,  each  looking  away 
from  his  companion  as  if  he  would  say,  I refuse  to 
see  how  miserable  you  are.  It  might  unnerve  me ! ” 

The  first  acknowledged  day  of  spring  in  old  times 
depended  on  the  weather,  and  perhaps  on  the  mood 
of  the  ruler  of  the  land.  It  was  understood  to  mark 
the  division  between  severe  cold  and  milder  airs,  and 
generally  fell  towards  the  end  of  January.  On  this 
day  the  head  of  the  family  (or  his  chief  servant)  took 
a basket  of  white  beans,  and,  going  through  the  house, 
scattered  some  in  every  room,  crying,  Evil  spirits 
outside,  good  fortune  within  ! ” The  ceremony  probably 
took  its  origin  in  an  offering  to  the  higher  powers,  and 


294 


LETTEES  EE0:M  JAPAN 


fields  — empty  because  the  rice  is  growing  still  in  its 
first  nursery,  blade  by  blade,  as  thick  as  moss.  In 
a month  or  two  it  will  be  removed  one  root  at  a time 
from  the  small  bed,  and  placed  in  a larger  one,  to 
feel  its  feet;  and  yet  again,  as  the  summer  grows,  tlie 
precious  shoots  will  be  lifted  from  the  half-liquid  soil 
and  spread  in  rows  down  the  great  wet  fields,  until 
they  shake  their  full-grown  tassels  in  the  sun,  yielding 


a prayer  for  their  protection ; but  at  last  it  came  to 
be  looked  upon  as  a kind  of  household  carnival,  and 
was  accompanied  by  games  and  laughter,  which  re- 
sounded from  house  to  house  along  the  streets  of  the 
town,  or  in  the  little  huts,  just  within  calling  distance 
of  each  other,  along  the  dykes  by  the  yet  empty  rice- 


A KICE  FIELD 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


295 


the  harvest  which  is  so  eminently  the  chief  wealth  of 
Japan  that  rich  men’s  incomes  are  reckoned,  not  in 
dollars,  but  in  kokuy  or  bags  of  rice. 

Surely  there  have  been  many  Methuselahs  in  Japan ! 
Nothing  less  than  the  leisure  of  eight  or  nine  hundred 
years  could  have  induced  people  to  undertake  such  tasks 
as  the  division  of  every  month  into  twelve  zodiacal  parts, 
each  presided  over  by  a reptile  or  animal  and  subdivided 
among  elements  and  minerals.  The  system  may  have 
simplified  the  casting  of  horoscopes  or  the  choosing  of  a 
site  for  house  or  camp ; but  even  with  the  spare  time  of 
a thousand  years  and  the  entire  absence  of  preoccupation 
as  to  a future  life,  it  must  have  taken  much  patience  to 
divide  one  month  into  sixty-one  parts  — and  then  remem- 
ber what  day  it  was  when  one  sat  down  to  write  a note ! 

This  custom  has  left  its  impress  on  the  Japan  of 
to-day ; for  when  a man  reaches  the  age  of  sixty-one  (at 
which  point  the  old  numeration  starts  again),  he  is  con- 
gratulated on  having  taken  a new  lease  of  life.  The 
family  drink  his  health  in  full  assembly,  new  clothes 
are  made  for  him,  and  he  is  no  longer  expected  to  work, 
if  he  has  done  so  till  then,  but  may  depend  on  his  sons 
and  grandsons  for  his  maintenance. 

Many  are  the  popular  festivals  during  these  first 
months  of  the  year.  February  the  9th  is  marked  by  a 
touching  ceremony,  when  the  Emperor,  dressed  in  antique 
State  costume,  performs  a service  of  homage  to  the  spirits 
of  his  ancestors.  The  loving  recollection  of  the  dead  is 
deeply  rooted  in  the  hearts  of  the  Japanese,  and  has 
often  smoothed  the  way  for  Catholic  teaching.  Even 


296 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


tiny  children  will  keej)  gifts  of  cakes  and  flowers,  and 
lay  them  on  the  grave  of  father  or  mother  in  the  pine- 
shaded  resting-place  of  the  family.  No  violent  mani- 
festations of  grief  are  made,  but  the  dear  one  is  never 
forgotten  in  his  silent  shrine.  The  Buddhist  priests 
mark  the  9th  of  February  as  the  Feast  of  the  River’s 
Farther  Shore.”  The  name  alone  seems  to  constitute  a 
tie  between  the  thought  of  East  and  West.  Life  and 
death,  and  life’s  renewal  after  death  — these  are  the 
undying  and  indivisible  inheritance  of  the  children  of 
God  wherever  He  has  placed  them. 


ANTIQUE  STATE  COSTUME 


CHAPTER  XVI 


THE  girls’  month.  — ORIGIN  OF  THE  DOLLS’  FESTIVAL.  — A 
WONDERFUL  SHOW.  — THE  JAPANESE  GIRL  AND  HER  UP- 
BRINGING. — AVIVES  AND  MOTHERS-IN-LAW.  — O’SUDZU’S 
DIVORCE.  — “FLAME  IS  THE  FLOWER  OF  YEDO  ” 

Tokyo,  March,  1890. 

TTHHE  month  of  March,  in  which  falls  the  girls’  festi- 
^ val  (the  third  day  of  the  third  month),  must  make 
up  in  a great  degree  to  the  little  Japanese  maiden  for 
the  secondary  place  she  occupies  in  the  family  councils 
during  the  rest  of  the  year  — secondary,  at  least,  as  com- 
pared to  the  one  filled  by  that  all-important  personage, 
her  brother.  His  especial  festival  comes  later,  when  the 
year  is  nearer  its  summer  glories,  and  the  sun,  low  now, 
will  be  riding  high  and  hot  in  the  heavens.  But  March, 
with  its  camellias  and  cherry  blossoms  and  toys,  belongs 
to  the  girls;  and  they  queen  it  royally  in  the  midst  of 
their  double  family,  their  adoring  relations  and  their 
submissive  doll  subjects. 

Long  before  March  the  3rd  has  come,  the  elaborate 
preparations  for  the  doll  festival  have  been  begun  in  the 
families  of  the  nobles  and  the  princes.  Away  from 
the  house  with  its  inflammable  woods,  in  a safe  part  of 
the  grounds,  stands  the  qodoivn,  or  store-house,  where 


298 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


all  the  precious  things  are  kept  safe  from  thieves  and  fire. 
It  is  generally  an  ugly  little  building  of  white-washed 
brick,  in  two  stories,  heavily  clamped  with  iron,  and 
having  iron  doors  and  shutters  often  ten  or  twelve  inches 
thick.  Fires  are  the  curse  of  Tokyo,  and  have  been 
raging  frightfully  of  late,  the  wood  and  paper  and  mats 
of  which  the  houses  chiefly  consist  leaping  into  flame  at 
the  first  spark  that  falls  upon  them.  So  the  rich  people 
keep  their  treasures  in  fire-proof  store-houses,  which  I 
have  often  seen  standing  untouched  when  the  rest  of  the 
home  was  reduced  to  ashes. 

European  children  would  be  surprised  to  hear  that 
they  were  expected  only  to  see  their  favourite  toys  for 
one  month  in  the  year,  and  to  consign  them  to  fireproof 
safes  for  the  other  eleven ; but  the  dolls  brought  to  light 
on  March  the  3rd  are  mostly  heirlooms,  triumphs  of  the 
art  of  a day  which  worked  as  if  its  sun  would  have  no 
setting,  which-  took  no  account  of  labour  or  time,  but 
only  of  the  passionate  straining  after  perfection  for  its 
own  sake. 

And  now  March  is  here,  and  the  girls’  festival  is 
being  celebrated  from  Hakodate  to  Nagasaki.  In  great 
houses  the  store-rooms  have  been  opened,  and  hundreds 
of  wonderful  doll  families  brought  to  light,  to  be  dis- 
played in  all  their  glory  in  a special  room  prepared  for 
them.  From  generation  to  generation  the  dolls  are 
handed  down  and  preserved  with  that  unquestioning 
reverence  which  the  Japanese  bestow  on  everything 
they  love.  Little  children  are  called  the  treasure- 
flowers  of  life,  and  tliat  which  ministers  to  their  hap- 


ARRANGING  THE  DOLLS 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


301 


piness  is  never  considered  trivial,  but  regarded  as  a 
necessary  part  of  the  family  occupations.  They  them- 
selves do  not  look  npcii  their  delicate  toys  as  things 
to  be  knocked  about  in  rough  play ; seeing  that  the 
grown  people  handle  them  with  care,  they  do  the  same, 
and  do  not  repine  when  valuable  dolls  are  put  away  in 
boxes  in  the  cjoclowns,  and  only  brought  out  for  this, 
their  special  festival. 

The  origin  of  the  celebration  lay  in  the  devotion 
of  the  people  to  an  always  invisible  sovereign.  For 
many  centuries  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  never 
beheld  by  any  but  a few  favoured  courtiers  who  shared 
the  seclusion  in  which  they  were  kept  by  the  all-powerful 
Regents.  So  their  loyal  subjects  made  images  of  them, 
dressed  in  State  garments,  and  surrounded  by  all  the  pomp 
and  luxury  due  to  their  exalted  rank.  In  the  flowery 
springtime  the  images  were  displayed  and  worshipped 
throughout  the  land  with  the  most  eager  homage.  Even 
the  language  retains  the  impress  of  this  loyalty;  for  the 
expression  invariably  used  in  regard  to  beholding  the 
sovereign  is  not  to  see,  but  to  worship. 

I have  been  paying  a visit  to  the  little  daughter 
of  one  of  the  great  nobles.  It  was  her  mother’s  recep- 
tion day,  and  beside  the  tea-cups  on  the  pretty  tea-table 
stood  small  bottles  of  a thick  white  wine,  only  used  for 
this  festival;  I had  only  been  in  the  room  a few  minutes, 
when  she  said,  Would  you  like  to  see  the  dolls  ? Pray 
forgive  me  for  putting  you  to  the  trouble  of  going  to 
another  room.”  Then  the  heroine  of  the  moment,  a 
tiny  girl  of  five,  stepped  forward  and  offered  to  lead 


302 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


me  in.  She  was  dressed  in  sapphire-coloured  crape, 
shading  from  pale  blue  at  the  foot  to  dark  purple  at 
the  shoulder,  embroidered  in  gold  in  lovely  patterns, 

and  girdled  with 
royal  scarlet  and 
gold ; her  hair,  gath- 
ered in  a shining 
knot  on  the  top  of 
her  head,  was  held 
in  place  with  jew- 
elled pins ; and  there 
was  a distinct  touch 
of  rouge  on  either 
round  cheek.  With 
perfect  gravity  she 
took  my  hand,  and 
led  me  into  the 
farther  room,  where 
a wonderful  show 
met  my  eyes.  On 
rising  shelves,  cov- 
ered with  crimson 
damask,  several 
hundreds  of  dolls 
were  arranged,  with 
all  the  furniture  and  belonodn^s  that  the  most  ambitious 
doll-lover  could  dream  of.  In  most  instances  an  emperor 
and  empress  were  sitting  on  their  thrones  surrounded 
by  their  entire  court.  There  were  generals,  prime  min- 
isters, musicians,  dancers,  all  in  the  costume  of  a long-past 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


303 


day ; the  chairs  and  stools,  painted  screens,  gold  lacquer 
cups  and  utensils,  musical  instruments,  and  weapons  of 
war  were  all  carried  out  with  a reckless  expense  and 
patient  perfection  surpassing  the  finest  antique  work 
of  the  West.  It  is 
very  strange  to  see 
mo  de  r n Fr  e n ch  and 
English  toys  among 
these  splendid  curios; 
but  this  little  lady  is 
cosmopolitan  in  her 
tastes,  and  takes  spe- 
cial delight  in  creatures 
who  will  walk  or  sing 
when  they  are  wound 
up  with  a key.  After 
admiring  everything, 
and  congratulating  her 
on  the  arrangement 
of  the  show,  I asked 
which  were  her  favour- 
ites out  of  all  the  vast 
collection  of  dolls. 

With  true  Japanese  Japanese  girls  of  to-day 

breeding  she  at  once  pointed  to  a china  baby  floating 
in  a bath-tub,  which  she  received  from  me  last  Christ- 
mas, and  then,  after  a moment’s  hesitation,  to  a gor- 
geous Parisienne  sent  to  her  by  the  wife  of  the  French 
Minister.  This  precocious  tact  so  took  away  my  breath 
that  it  was  hard  to  find  words  to  express  proper  adini- 


304 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


ration  of  the  dolls’  country  house,  with  gardens,  farms, 
lakes,  and  pine  trees  all  complete,  which  she  showed  me 
in  another  room.  Real  flowers  had  been  planted  round 
it  in  light  earth  brought  up  for  the  purpose ; and 
her  mother,  when  I returned  to  the  drawing-room,  told 
me  that  ^^Nobu  cho  ” arranged  this  part  of  the  show 
entirely  by  herself. 

The  Japanese  girl ! She  is  a creature  of  so  many 
attractive  contradictions,  with  her  warm  heart,  her 
quick  brain,  and  her  terribly  narrow  experience;  with 
her  submissions  and  self-effacements  which  have  be- 
come second  nature,  and  her  brave  revolts  when  first 
nature  takes  the  upper  hand  again  and  courage  is  too 
strong  for  custom  — perhaps  it  is  too  soon  yet  for  me 
to  speak  of  her  to  any  purpose,  and  yet  I want  to  tell 
you  how  deeply  she  interests  me,  how  I believe  in 
her,  and  hope  for  her  in  the  new  developments  which 
the  next  few  years  will  bring  forth.  The  books  I 
have  read  on  Japan  have  always  had  a great  deal  to 
say  about  the  musume^  the  pretty,  plebeian  tea-house 
girl,  or  the  geishcty  the  artist,  the  dancer,  the  witty, 
brilliant  hetaira  of  Japan.  I suppose  these  are  about 
as  unrepresentative  of  the  normal  Japanese  woman  as 
a music-hall  singer  would  be  of  the  European  sister  of 
charity.  That  they  are  very  much  less  objectionable 
than  the  corresponding  classes  at  home  is  doubtless 
due  to  the  innate  refinement  of  the  Japanese  woman  ; 
but  what  a gulf  is  set  between  them  and  the  girls  of 
whom  I would  speak  — girls  surrounded  with  punctil- 
ious care,  and  brought  np  with  one  inflexible  standard 


A QUIET  HOME 


VOL.  I 


X 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


307 


always  kept  before  their  eyes,  the  whole  law  of  Duty! 
Inclination  may  never  govern  their  conduct  after  they 
have  arrived  at  years  of  reason,  early  reached  in 
Japan ; and  if  they  are  the  brightest  children,  the 
most  faithful  wives,  the  most  devoted  mothers,  always 
serene,  industrious,  smiling,  it  surely  is  because  Duty 
is  justified  of  her  children. 

I think  that  the  simple  unfettered  life  led  by  the 
little  children  here  gives  the  girls  a happy  foundation 
to  start  on,  as  it  were.  There  is  no  scolding  and 
punishing,  no  nursery  disgrace,  no  shutting  away  of 
the  little  ones  day  after  day  in  dull  nurseries  with 
selfish,  half-educated  women,  whose  mere  daily  society 
means  torture  to  a sensitive  well-born  child.  Here, 
children  are  always  welcome ; they  come  and  go  as 
they  like,  are  spoilt,  if  love  means  spoiling,  by  father 
and  mother,  relations  and  servants : but  they  grow 
imperceptibly  in  the  right  shape;  they  mould  their 
thoughts  and  expressions  on  those  of  the  sovereigns  of 
the  home ; and  one  day,  without  wrench  or  effort,  the 
little  girl  is  grown  into  a thoughtful,  helpful  woman, 
bent  on  following  the  examples  of  good  women  gone 
before  her.  Very  gently  but  persistently  one  lesson  has 
been  preached  to  her  ever  since  language  meant  any- 
thing in  her  ears,  — Give  up,  love,  help  others,  efface 
thyself”;  and  in  the  still  atmosphere  of  the  home  with 
its  ever-repeated  round  of  necessary  and  unpraised  duties, 
in  that  quiet  sunshine  of  humility,  high  motives  grow 
and  are  not  pulled  up  by  the  roots  to  be  shown  to  ad- 
miring friends,  the  young  heart  waxes  strong  and  pure. 


308 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  should  the  call  to  heroic  sacrifice  sound,  a noble 
woman  springs  forward  to  answer  it;  should  it  never 
ring  in  her  ears  the  world  is  none  the  poorer,  for  a 
true  sweet  woman  is  passing  tli rough  it,  smiling  at 
every  duty  that  meets  her  on  her  unnoticed  way,  leav- 
ing a train  of  gentle,  wholesome  memories  behind  her 
when  the  journey  ends.  In  real  womanliness,  which  I 
take  to  mean  a high  combination  of  sense  and  sweet- 
ness, valour  and  humility,  the  Japanese  lady  ranks 
with  any  woman  in  the  world,  and  passes  before  most 
of  them. 

Her  lot  as  a child  and  as  a young  girl  is  an  excep- 
tionally happy  one;  but  it  cannot  be  denied  that  mar- 
riage often  brings  distinct  hardship  with  it.  The 
mother-in-law  is  apt  to  be  exigent  in  the  extreme,  for, 
by  the  time  she  has  reached  that  dignity,  a woman’s 
duties  are  considered  over,  the  young  people  must  pro- 
vide for  her  comfort  and  amusement,  and,  in  the  lower 
classes  especially,  it  does  sometimes  happen  that  a 
woman  who  has  worked  hard  all  her  life  and  suddenly 
finds  herself  comparatively  unoccupied,  becomes  fretful, 
difficult,  and  makes  the  young  wife’s  life  anything  but 
a happy  one.  Also,  mothers  are  mothers  all  the  world 
over;  and  where  is  the  woman  who  ever  thought  her 
son’s  wife  good  enough  for  him  ? It  seems  hard  that 
the  person  who  really  has  most  to  do  with  the  young 
wife’s  fate  should  be,  of  all  others,  the  one  who  will 
certainly  depreciate  her  qualities.  I have  spoken  of  the 
lower  classes,  because  it  is  there,  I think,  that  the  bur- 
den is  most  heavily  felt ; but  the  possibility  of  it  exists 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


309 


in  every  class,  family  life  being  always  shaped  on  one 
traditional  model,  and  human  nature,  alas ! of«ten  pro- 
ducing some  fretfulness  and  selfishness  in  age  of  which 
there  has  been  no  trace  in  youth  or  prime. 

An  amusing 
instance  of  the 
clashing  of  na- 
tionalities on 
this  ground  took 
place  when, 
some  years  ago, 
an  English  girl 
married  a Jap- 
anese professor, 
and,  quite  unac- 
customed to  the 
ways  of  the 
country,  came 
out  to  live  here, 
in  the  house  of 
his  mother,  who 
received  her 
kindly,  but  was 
liorrified  at 


AN  EMI?ROIDERED  ROBE 


what  she  con- 
sidered the  ignorance  and  flightiness  of  her  new  daughter- 
in-law.  She  especially  disapproved  of  Mrs.  N ’s  hav- 

ing so  many  dresses  out  at  the  same  time,  wearing  first 
one  and  then  another,  according  to  the  fancy  of  the 
moment.  Expostulation  had  no  effect,  and  the  young 


310 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


bride  continued  to  flaunt  her  trousseau  frocks  in  the  old 
lady’s  face.  Something  had  to  be  done ; the  Japanese 
habit  is  to  carefully  fold  away  the  last  season’s  dresses, 
and  never  look  at  them  again  till  next  year  brings  the 
need  for  them  round.  In  this  way  the  same  robes  may 
serve  for  ten  or  twenty  years ; and  if  fashions  never 
changed,  there  might  be  a good  deal  to  say  for  the 

custom.  Old  Madame  N at  any  rate  made  up  her 

mind  that  it  should  be  enforced.  She  waited,  generously, 

until  her  daughter-in-law  had  gone  to  a garden  party  in 

• 

her  best  frock,  and  then  she  made  a raid  on  her  room, 
emptied  drawers  of  underlinen  and  wardrobes  of  dresses, 
and  carried  everything  away  to  the  family  godoicn^  the 
fire-proof  store-house  which  I described  just  now.  I 
believe  the  scene  was  terrible,  when  Mrs.  N re- 

turned and  found  that  she  was  expected  to  live  on  her 
garden-party  frock  and  two  pocket-handkerchiefs  for 
three  months.  The  old  lady  took  a strong  stand 
on  her  rights ; but  the  high-spirited  English  girl  won 
the  day.  ^‘^You  got  the  things  back?”  I asked,  when 
she  told  me  the  story.  By  bedtime ! ” she  replied. 
‘^We  had  a dreadful  scene;  but  it  was  the  last.  She 
saw  that  I must  have  my  way,  and  we  were  good 
friends  afterwards.” 

I think  it  would  be  advisable  for  Japanese  girls  to 
assert  themselves  a little  more  wlien  the  mother-in-law 
is  inclined  to  be  tyrannical,  and  it  is  a pity  that  the 
elaborate  books  which  explain  the  duties  of  women  at 
every  other  stage  of  life  do  not  contain  some  lessons 
as  to  how  to  treat  one’s  juniors  when  one  has  arrived 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


311 


at  the  envied  dignity  of  having  a married  son.  This 
is  the  time  to  which  every  woman  looks  forward  eagerlj^, 
the  time  when  she  will  be  openly  honoured,  and  repaid 
for  many  a silent  sacrifice  by  the  devotion  of  the  neces- 
sary daughter-in-law,  and  by  the  love  of  many  grand- 
children, the  proudest  ornament  of  old  age  out  here. 
But  the  books  and  teachers  are  silent  on  this  point, 
as  far  as  I can  discover,  and  are  entirely  taken  up 
with  telling  a girl  how  great  and  all-reaching  her 
service  to  her  parents-in-law  must  be.  Tliese  rank  be- 
fore her  own  father  and  mother,  who  expect  to  see 
very  little  of  her  after  her  marriage ; she  is  completely 
absorbed  into  her  husband’s  family,  in  which  alone  will 
she  be  remembered  by  prayers  and  offerings  after  her 
death.  Her  submission  to  her  husband  has  no  limit; 
but  her  husband  himself  owes  entire  submission  to  his 
parents  as  long  as  they  live.  He  cannot  interfere  on 
behalf  of  his  wife,  or  at  least  he  very  seldom  ventures 
to  do  so ; and  if  he  does,  the  interference  is  more  likely 
to  do  harm  than  good.  There  is  one  bright  point 
towards  which  the  poor  little  daughter-in-law  can  look 
hopefully.  The  moment  she  herself  becomes  a mother, 
especially  if  her  child  is  a boy,  she  is  regarded  as  a 
person  of  some  importance,  and  is  treated  with  much 
more  consideration  by  the  old  people. 

I know  a charming  little  woman  whose  husband  is 
a Government  official.  They  are  Christians,  and  devoted 
to  one  another ; but  all  his  affection  could  not  protect 
her  from  a kind  of  persecution  inflicted  by  the  selfish- 
ness of  his  mother.  Young  Mrs.  S was  in  delicate 


312 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


health,  and  needed  all  the  rest  and  sleep  that  she  could 
get ; but  her  mother-in-law  would  not  allow  her  to  go 
to  bed  until  she  herself  was  ready  to  retire.  Like 
many  elderly  people,  she  slept  badly,  and  sat  up  regu- 
larly, reading  Japanese  novels  till  one  or  two  o’clock 
in  the  morning.  Only  when  the  lights  were  out,  and 
the  venerable  O’Bassan  comfortably  rolled  up  in  her 
futons,  might  the  poor  young  wife  seek  her  rest ; 
and  long  before  daylight  she  had  to  be  on  her  knees 
by  the  O’Bassan’s  couch,  offering  her  the  early  tea. 
It  was  she  who  had  to  undo  the  shutters,  get  hot 
water,  help  the  old  lady  to  dress,  and  go  through  all 
the  services  performed  for  us  by  our  maids,  but  for 
the  old  ladies  by  daughters-in-law  in  Japan.  Rich  or 
poor,  it  is  the  same  for  all ; and  if  there  were  an  army 
of  servants  in  the  house,  it  is  the  weary  privilege  of 
the  son’s  wife  to  attend  to  these  details  alone.  In  this 
case  the  resvdt  was  very  nearly  fatal.  When  a son 

was  born,  Mrs.  S ’s  health  was  so  broken  down 

that  it  seemed  unlikely  she  could  survive,  and  she  will 
all  her  life  be  a delicate  woman  in  consequence.  Let 
us  hope  that  she  will  be  merciful  to  her  successors, 
remembering  her  own  sufferings.  Parents  of  only 
daughters  greatly  dread  this  ordeal  for  their  child,  and 
I am  sure  it  has  a great  deal  to  do  with  the  custom 
of  adopting  into  the  family  a young  man  who  is  willing 
to  take  her  name  and  merge  his  individuality  in  hers. 
When  this  happens,  it  is  done,  ostensibly,  to  carry  on 
the  family  name  and  estates ; but  I believe  the  dread 
of  a mother-in-law  for  the  petted  little  daughter  has 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


313 


much  to  do  with  it,  and  also  the  fear  in  her  parents’ 
hearts  of  having  a lonely  and  uncoraforted ' old  age. 
Although  the  youth  who  consents  to  fill  such  a position 
is  generally  of  a class  slightly  inferior  to  her  own, 
happy  is  the  girl  whose  life  is  run  on  these  lines ; her 
own  parents  will  always  be  kind  and  indulgent  to 
her,  and  her  married  life  is  a continuation,  in  a fuller, 
more  perfect  sphere,  of  the  sunny  years  of  childhood. 

One  of  the  Legation  employes  married  away  his 
daugliter  this  year.  When  the  family  came  to  receive 
the  little  present  usual  on  these  occasions,  I asked  the 
mother  if  the  bridegroom  seemed  a good  and  kind 
young  man,  who  would  make  O’Sudzu  happy.  Oh 
yes,”  was  the  answer,  O’Sudzu  will  be  very  happy; 
her  mother-in-law  is  a good  woman,  and  has  taken  a 
great  fancy  to  her.”  The  bridegroom  was  not  even 
mentioned.  As  it  turned  out,  he  proved  to  be  either 
very  unreasonable  or  very  unkind ; for,  six  weeks  after 
the  wedding,  our  poor  O’Sudzu  was  sent  home  again  — 
divorced ! I was  dismayed,  for  we  all  thought  that  she 
was  making  a good  marriage ; and  although  she  was 
plain,  we  knew  that  she  was  a good  girl,  and  well- 
educated  for  her  class. 

What  has  happened  ? ” I asked  in  deep  sympathy; 
for  a divorce  is  a great  misfortune  to  a girl,  and  marks 
her  as  having  some  distinct  defect,  bad  temper  perhaps, 
or  clumsy  hands  with  a habit  of  dropping  the  china, 
or  something  equally  undesirable.  But  it  turned  out 
that  poor  O’Sudzu  was  not  accused  of  anything  so 
serious.  Her  husband  came  into  the  room  one  day. 


314 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  found  her  sewing ; and  as  he  watched,  she  threaded 
her  needle,  holding  it  up  to  one  eye  as  women  do. 

Why  do  you  do  that?”  asked  the  man. 

Because  I see  better  so,  honourable  husband,”  she 
replied. 

Hold  it  up  to  the  other  eye  and  thread  it,”  he 
commanded;  and  she  obeyed.  At  least,  she  tried  to 
obey  and  failed,  being  slightly  more  short-sighted  on 
that  side. 

I 

^^Go  home,”  he  said,  ^^and  return  no  more.  Who 
wants  a one-eyed  wife  ? ” 

So  O’Sudzu  came  home,  and  her  parents  are  now 
seeking  for  a less  particular  husband,  who  will  have  to 
be  found  in  a lower  class  than  the  one  she  could  marry 
into  before  she  was  divorced.^ 

There  is  an  old  saying  in  Japan  that  Flame  is 
the  flower  of  Yedo  ” ; that  flower  has  bloomed  with 
terrible  profusion  of  late.  The  end  of  last  month  and 
the  beginning  of  this  were  marked  by  some  fearfully 
destructive  fires  in  Tokyo,  and  whole  districts  are  still 
lying  bare  and  black,  as  if  people  were  almost  afraid  to 
rebuild  on  the  same  spot.  I fancy,  too,  there  is  some 
hesitation  in  the  public  mind  as  to  the  best  material 
for  building  under  present  conditions.  These  fierce 
fires  have  always  been  the  curse  of  Tokyo,  the  city  of 
wood  and  bamboo  and  paper.  In  old  times  they  were 
so  much  a part  of  life  that  a whole  code  of  customs 
grew  up  round  them,  regulated  by  severe  etiquette : 

1 The  position  of  married  women  has  been  greatly  improved  by  the 
new  laws  which  have  come  into  force  since  these  words  were  written. 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


315 


there  was  only  one  costume  in  which  it  was  proper  to 
assist  at  a fire,  and  this  was  a particularly  showy  and 
elaborate  one ; there  is  a whole  nomenclature  in  which 
every  variety  of  fire  is  described  by  a different  name  — 
one  word  expresses  a fire  kindled  by  intention,  another 
the  accidental  outbreak,  another  the  fire  caught  from 
the  next  house,  another  that  kindled  by  a falling  spark. 


A FIRE 


and  so  on.  There  was  special  music,  a kind  of  religious 
hymn,  which  was  sung  by  the  firemen  at  their  work, 
and  several  of  their  number  were  told  off  to  stand  on 
the  roof  with  standards  on  which  were  painted  sacred 
and  terrible  symbols,  intended  to  frighten  the  demons  of 
the  flames  and  arrest  their  farther  progress.  Although 
the  fires  seem  to  us  both  frequent  and  terrible,  the 
Japanese  say  that  they  were  still  more  so  twenty  years 
ago,  when  some  part  of  Tokyo  was  in  flames  every  night 


316 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


of  the  week.  In  the  old  days  there  was  nothing  to 
quench  a fire  but  haud-bnckets,  filled  from  the  nearest 
moat;  now  there  are  fire-engine  stations  all  over  the 
city,  and  a constant  watch  is  kept  over  each  district. 
One  of  these  stands  on  the  edge  of  the  moat,  very  near 
our  own  gates.  It  consists  of  a building  for  the  fire- 
engine,  a small  guard-room,  and  an  enormous  ladder,  set 
upright  in  the  ground,  crowned  by  a railed  platform, 
very  much  like  the  crow’s-nest  in  an  old  man-of-war. 
On  a transverse  beam  above  the  platform  hangs  a bronze 
bell,  on  which  the  watchman  strikes  the  first  signal  of 
any  conflagration.  The  climb  to  this  eyrie  looks  like  a 
thing  of  peril ; but  the  wiry  fireman  runs  up  like  a cat, 
and  then  sits  on  the  top  rung  of  the  ladder,  swinging 
his  legs  with  splendid  indifference  over  the  sixty  feet 
of  empty  air  between  him  and  the  ground.  When  an 
outbreak  is  discerned,  he  strikes  his  bell,  one  stroke  if 
it  is  in  the  district  of  his  station,  two  if  it  is  in  the  next, 
and  so  on.  Often  in  the  quiet  night  one  is  waked  up 
by  that  first  ominous  stroke,  and  then  one  sits  up,  listen- 
ing breathlessly  for  the  next.  If  there  is  no  second 
one,  the  household  is  astir  in  a moment ; for  that  might 
mean  fire  in  our  close  vdcinity. 

An  old  resident  in  Tokyo  tells  me  that  he  witnessed 
one  or  two  of  the  almost  historical  fires  Avhich  occurred 
here  in  the  early  days  of  foreign  intrusion.  He  and 
others  were  students  in  the  Legation  when  it  was  estab- 
lished in  Takanawa,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  somewhat 
ineffectually  guarded  by  Japanese  troops.  The  students, 
mere  boys  of  eighteen  and  nineteen,  were  forbidden  to 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


317 


leave  the  com  pound  without  an  escort,  wliich  usually 
consisted  of  four  or  five  native  soldiers,  and  at  least 
one  English  mounted  constable ; but  naturally  enough 
their  chief  joy  was  to  escape  from  all  this  supervision 
and  constraint  by  saddling  their  own  horses  and  slipping 
out  unseen  to  wander  at  will  about  the  picturesque  town. 
If  they  met  no  Daimyo’s  procession,  they  were  fairly 
safe ; but  once  or  twice  they  had  narrow  escapes,  and 
were  thankful  to  gallop  back  to  the  friendly  shelter  of 
the  compound,  where  nothing  worse  than  a serious 
reprimand  was  in  store  for  them.  AYhen  great  fires 
occurred  in  the  city,  the  students  always  managed  to 
see  them ; and  my  friend  tells  me  that  nothing  could 
be  more  impressive  than  the  quietness  and  order  with 
which  everything  was  done  to  save  property,  to  help 
neighbours,  but,  above  all,  to  bring  the  children  into 
safety.  A certain  number  of  men  banded  together  for 
this  purpose,  and  going  through  the  streets  of  the  dis- 
trict, where  perhaps  the  danger,  still  unknown,  might 
at  any  moment  become  acute,  would  knock  at  every 
door,  saying,  A fire  has  begun;  give  us  the  children!  ” 
And  all  the  little  ones  were  brought  out  (the  elder  ones 
carrying  the  babies),  and  at  once  took  their  places  in 
the  orderly  procession,  walking  nine  or  ten  abreast, 
with  a man  at  the  end  of  every  fifth  or  sixth  row  to 
keep  the  order ; and  so  the  small  people  marched  away 
in  regiments  of  three  or  four  hundred  at  a time,  singing 
little  songs  to  keep  their  spirits  up,  and  showing  no  fear 
in  their  perfect  confidence  that  they  would  be  protected. 
There  would  be  no  risk  of  losing  a child,  since  each 


318 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


one  wears  a label  with  its  name  and  address  hung  round 
its  neck,  in  case  of  accidents.  When  the  children  were 
gone,  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  the  parents  to  collect 
their  household  goods  into  bundles  and  carry  them 
away  if  necessary.  The  most  precious  objects  are  the 
tablets  of  the  ancestors  in  the  household  shrine.  These 
must  be  saved  before  any  other  properties,  and  there  is 
a saying  that  if  the  tablets  are  saved  all  is  saved,  but  if 
they  are  lost  nothing  will  be  rescued.  I have  seen 
people  sitting  on  their  doorsteps  with  everything  porta- 
ble tied  in  cloths  or  piled  on  a hand-cart,  ready  to  go  if 
the  flames  or  the  almost  equally  destructive  hose  came 
too  near,  but  unwilling  to  leave  their  houses  till  the  last 
moment.  The  furnishings  of  a Japanese  house  are  so 
few  and  simple  that  they  are  easily  transported;  but 
the  delicate  wood,  the  dainty  mats,  and  treasured  screens 
always  suffer  in  these  unexpected  journeys.  If  the  fire 
is  very  sudden  and  near,  there  is  an  indiscriminate  rush 
to  save  property  the  moment  the  children  have  been 
removed ; and  thieves  come  sometimes  in  the  guise  of 
neighbours,  to  help  themselves  to  valuable  things,  which 
are  never  seen  again.  But  in  general,  great  kindness  is 
shown  to  the  sufferers,  and  a whole  quarter  will  open 
its  houses  to  shelter  the  people  who  have  been  deprived 
of  their  homes,  and  large  subscriptions  are  got  up  to 
help  repair  the  damages.  The  Emperor  and  Empress 
have  sent  a thousand  yen,  and  Prince  Haru  two  hun- 
dred, in  aid  of  the  sufferers  from  the  late  fires  here. 
There  is  a common  sayiug  that  these  catastrophes  occur 
when  the  carpenters  (who  are  the  universal  builders)  are 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


319 


that  time;  the  ^^Kinoshita  San”  is  better  employed,  and 
I must  wait  for  my  wardrobe  or  table  till  he  is  free. 

All  this  consumption  of  wood  must  entail  a serious 
drain  on  the  timber  resources  of  the  country,  and 
must  also  mean  very  heavy  expense  to  somebody.  I 
believe  it  is  possible  to  insure;  but  the  premium  is  so 
high  that  it  puts  such  precautions  quite  beyond  the 


out  of  work ; but  one  must  hope  that  this  is  a calumny, 
merely  inspired  by  the  fact  that  they  are  the  only  class 
who  benefit  by  the  misfortune.  The  ground  is  hardly 
cold  before  the  carpenters  are  at  -work,  rebuilding  the 
dwellings  which  have  been  destroyed ; and  it  is  useless 
to  try  to  get  any  carpentering  done  in  other  ways  at 


CARPENTERS  AT  WORK 


320 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


reach  of  the  masses,  who  are,  as  it  seems  to  me, 
extraordinarily  careless  of  fire-risk  already.  The 
hibachi,  a box  lined  with  iron,  or  fire-proof  clay,  and 
filled  with  glowing  charcoal  rising  out  of  a bed  of 
fine  white  ashes,  serves  for  tea-makmg  and  pipe-lighting 
chiefly.  It  is  carried  from  place  to  place  as  it  is  wanted, 
and  has  often  been  the  cause  of  accidents  through 
some  end  of  paper  or  drapery  which  floats  into  it 
unnoticed  and  causes  an  instant  flare.  The  stationary 
fire  in  the  floor  of  the  room  is  less  dangerous,  being 
deeper  and  larger.  This  is  called  the  kotatsu,  and  is 
used  for  cooking ; an  iron  pot  hangs  over  it  on  a chain 
in  the  poorer  houses,  and  it  forms  a centre  of  warmth 
round  which  the  family  spread  their  beds  at  night. 
A fruitful  source  of  fire  is  the  kerosene  lamp,  a cheap 
and  brittle  thing,  so  univetsally  used  that  there  is 
hardly  a house  in  Tokyo  without  it.  One  of  these 
flimsy  glass  lamps  is  often  placed  on  a bamboo  stand, 
quite  a yard  high,  and  so  slender  that  the  slightest 
touch  will  send  it  over.  Round  this  the  whole  family 
gather  closely,  so  as  to  get  light  for  the  work  which 
they  often  carry  on  till  very  late  at  night.  Just  as 
they  are  all  intent  on  the  task  in  hand,  perhaps  an 
earthquake  shock  is  felt,  and  in  five  seconds  every 
one  is  in  the  street,  half  paralysed  with  terror,  quite 
forgetting  the  lamp  on  its  frail  stand.  The  earthquake 
has  overturned  it,  and  by  the  time  any  one  gathers 
courage  to  return,  everything  is  in  a blaze. 

I find  that  here,  as  in  South  America,  the  worst 
damage  done  during  an  earthquake  is  generally  caused 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


321 


by  its  follower,  fire;  and  in  the  constant  shocks  which 
enliven  our  existence  we  always  fly  to  the  lamps  first, 
and  put  them  out  if  the  vibrations  continue.  Were  it 
not  for  the  earthquakes,  Tokyo  would  soon  be  a city 
of  bricks  and  mortar,  and  the  picturesque,  inflammable, 
wooden  houses  would  disappear ; but  the  earthquakes 
will  keep  the  old 
fashion  in  dwell- 
ings long  alive, 

I fancy.  The 
brick  house  be- 
haves far  more 
violently  during 
the  shocks,  and 
does  more  harm 
when  it  is  in- 
jured. The  wood- 
en one  can  toss 
and  shake  a good 
deal  before  being 
really  shattered, 
and  there  are 

. A FIREPLACE  IN  THE  FLOOR 

many  instances 

on  record  when,  the  wooden  pillars  having  given  way, 
the  peaked  roof  sank  on  the  ground,  enclosing  the  in- 
mates as  in  a hen-coop. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  the  more  one  sees,  or 
rather  feels,  of  earthquakes,  the  less  one  likes  them ; 
the  Japanese  take  every  other  catastrophe  with  calm 
philosophy,  but  the  earthquakes  really  cause  panic  to 


VOL.  I 


Y 


322 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


every  class  of  the  community.  It  is  said  that  many 
of  the  rich  people  who  have  built  themselves  beautiful 
stone  houses,  furnished  with  every  possible  luxury,  steal 
out  of  them  after  dark,  to  sleep  in  some  old  pavilion, 
nearer  to  the  kindly  ground. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE  SPRING  MANOEUVRES.—  OPENING  OF  THE  UYENO  EXHIBI- 
TION.— ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  ART  IN  JAPAN.  — IVORIES 
AND  ENAMELS.  — THE  DUKE  AND  DUCHESS  OF  CONNAUGHT 


HAVE  greatly  envied  the  chiefs  of  missions  who 


were  invited  by  the  Emperor  to  attend  the  Spring 
Manoeuvres,  the  first  that  have  been  carried  out  under 
his  own  eyes.  A great  deal  of  enthusiasm  was  mani- 
fested, when  it  was  announced  that  the  Emperor  in- 
tended to  witness  the  sham  fights  himself.  It  is  still 
and  always  will  be  here  considered  a miracle  of  gra- 
ciousness, when  he  condescends  to  show  himself  to  his 
subjects ; and  there  is  no  mistake  about  the  fervent 
loyalty  of  all  classes  to  the  person  of  the  sovereign, 
however  opposed  they  may  be  to  one  another.  The 
arrangements  were  in  consequence  made  on  a much 
more  important  scale  than  usual,  and  a larger  number 
of  men  were  employed,  fifty  thousand  being  massed 
near  Nagoya,  besides  those  on  board  the  battle-ships. 

The  Emperor  left  for  Nagoya  on  March  28th,  and 
the  Empress  and  Empress-Dowager  both  accompanied 
him  to  the  station  to  see  him  off.  The  plan  of  the 
manoeuvres  was  based  on  the  supposition  that  an  enemy. 


Tokyo,  Aprils  1890. 


323 


324 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


crossing  the  Pacific,  had  struck  at  the  coast  between 
the  two  points  of  Kii  and  Izu,  thus  attempting  to 
separate  the  country’s  forces  and  resources.  The  at- 
tacking body  in  consequence  landed  at  Wakayama  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Inland  Sea,  and  tried  to  penetrate 
to  Osaka  and  Ise.  To  turn  them  aside  was  the  task 
of  the  defending  force,  called  the  Eastern  Army  ; and 


AT  THE  MANOEUVRES 


a great  deal  of  very  smart  work  was  done,  which  — I 
could  not  have  understood,  but  simply  longed  to  see ! 
The  weather  was  awful ; but  the  various  battles  were 
fought  out  with  zeal  and  perseverance,  the  organisation 
and  commissariat  appear  to  have  been  excellent,  and  if 
the  gallant  Army  of  the  East  was  beaten,  it  had  tlie 
consolation  of  knowing  that  its  conquerors  were  brothers 
and  compatriots.  Prince  Arisugawa,  who  framed  the 
official  report  of  the  manoeuvres,  was  not  sparing  of 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


325 


either  praise  or  blame  where  he  thought  it  was  de- 
served ; but  the  report  was  sufficiently  favourable  to 
give  the  Emperor  grounds  for  pronouncing  himself 
wholly  satisfied  with  the  conduct  of  the  troops  and  the 
ships,  adding  a little  word  at  the  end  of  his  speech  to 
the  effect  that  he  hoped  they  would  do  even  better  in 
time  to  come.  Among  the  battle-ships  the  Takachiho 
and  the  Naniwa  seem  to  have  carried  themselves  ex- 
tremely well,  and  the  torpedo-boats  did  very  good  ser- 
vice. 

Before  the  Emperor  went  to  the  manoeuvres,  he 
had  inaugurated  the  great  Exhibition  at  Uyeno,  in 
order  that  on  April  1st  it  might  be  thrown  open  to 
the  public.  There  was  rather  an  imposing  ceremony 
for  the  opening,  all  the  Court  as  well  as  Japanese  and 
foreign  officials  assisting;  but  it  was  amusing  to  find 
that  the  exhibits  were  in  no  way  ready  to  be  looked 
at.  They  were  still  lying  about  the  galleries  in  pack- 
ing-cases, and  it  seemed  probable  that  weeks  must  pass 
before  there  could  be  much  pleasure  in  wandering 
through  the  huge  courts.  Much  to  every  one’s  surprise, 
however,  the  Emperor’s  visit  and  the  accompanying 
ceremony  (conducted  in  a temporary  pavilion  outside 
the  Exhibition  building)  seem  to  have  given  an  impetus 
to  the  work,  and  in  a few  days  after  that  time  a really 
splendid  show  of  Japanese  art-work  was  all  in  order  to 
be  admired,  and — for  rich  people  — acquired.  It  is  a 
great  pity  that  so  little  announcement  or  advertising 
of  the  Exhibition  was  done  abroad;  for  many  art-lovers 
would,  I am  sure,  have  taken  great  pains  to  see  this 


326 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


collection  of  the  modem  produce  of  Japan.  That  it  is 
modern  is  perhaps  its  most  characteristic  feature,  and 
shows  conclusively  that  Japan  has  not  lost  her  cun- 
ning; for  the  enamels  and  carvings,  the  silks  and  the 
embroideries,  are  as  fine  and  perfect  as  any  of  the 
recognised  models  of  the  best  ancient  periods.  There 
are  only  two  things  in  which  the  old  work  seems  finer 
than  anything  the  best  modern  artists  can  produce,  and 
these  are  lacquer  and  sword-blades.  I am  in  the  mi- 
nority in  my  opinion  of  modern  lacquer,  for  such  judges 
as  Captain  Brinkley  consider  the  modern  as  quite  equal 
in  merit  to  the  old.  But  there  is  hardly  time  to  notice 
this  among  the  exhibits  at  Uyeno,  which  are  so  many^ 
and,  alas ! so  unsatisfactorily  arranged,  that  it  takes 
several  visits  to  get  a good  idea  of  them.  The  thing 
which  seems  to  strike  the  strongest  note  in  the  whole 
is  the  new  school  of  painting  which  has  been  growing 
up  here,  on  a battle-field,  as  it  were,  so  violent  was  the 
opposition  it  encountered  from  the  conservatives,  who 
cling  tenaciously  to  the  old  school,  while  their  work 
seldom  shows  any  of  the  vigour  and  freshness  which 
made  the  work  of  the  old  masters  in  Japan  so  admi- 
rable. The  warcry  of  these  Eastern  pre-Kaphaelites  is 
that  nothing  can  be  good  which  departs  in  any  way 
from  the  models  created  and  the  canons  laid  down 
when  Japanese  art  stood  at  its  highest.  Of  course  this 
involves  both  a philosophical  contradiction  and  a con- 
fession of  weakness.  That  which  is  stationary  in  art, 
or  science,  or  morals,  is  already  on  the  decline ; and 
the  advance  party  of  Japanese  artists  refuse  to  admit 


FARM  AND  CORNFIKLD  WITH  FAI'ER  FLAGS  FOR  SCARECROMT 
After  a painting  hy  Yanagi 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


329 


that  the  present  cannot  equal  and  outdo  the  past.  The 
use  of  oil-colours,  for  instance,  is  condemned  by  the  purists, 
l)ecause  their  predecessors  have  never  made  use  of  them ; 
the  new  scliool  of  painters  delight  in  the  richness  and 
freedom  of  tint  thus  placed  at  their  command,  and  are 
producing  works  which  would  take  a respectable  place 
in  modern  exhibitions  in  Europe.  I have  a series  of 
little  oil  landscapes  by  an  artist  called  Yanagi  which  I 
should  never  wish  to  part  with.  Fresh  and  clear  and 
truthful,  they  put  the  more  simple  effects  of  landscape 
in  Japan  absolutely  before  one,  and  compare  more  than 
favourably  with  a number  of  -paintings  by  European 
artists  which  hang  beside  them  on  our  walls. 

But  strongly  as  I sympathise  with  the  artistic 
courage  which  thus  comes  forward  and  asks  to  be 
judged  by  European  standards,  I confess  that  where 
mere  private  taste  is  concerned  I prefer  the  original 
Japanese  methods  for  many  reasons;  the  chief  one 
being  that  they  express  ideas  and  deal  with  subjects 
that  no  other  art  has  touched,  and  which  cannot  be 
even  approached  through  the  rich  and  heavy  medium 
of  oil-colours.  The  transparency  and  spontaneousness 
of  the  old  paintings  on  silk,  where  perhaps  one  wash  of 
thin  dryish  water-colour  had  to  express  unfathomed 
perspectives  of  cloud  or  depths  of  forest,  are  to  me  true 
portraits  of  the  spirit  of  Nature  here ; the  heavy 
materials  of  oil  and  canvas  can  only  produce  her 
exterior  lines,  a faithful  likeness  of  a body,  as  it 
were,  with  the  informing  soul  left  out  of  the  picture. 
Please  do  not  accuse  me  of  talking  nonsense.  Nature 


330 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


has  both  body  and  spirit  like  our  other  friends,  and 

she  is  not  always  pressing  the  spirit  on  our  notice, 

nor  do  Ave  always  wish  to  see  it;  sometimes  we  are 

more  in  the  mood  for  the  opulent  beauty  of  matter 

than  for  the  delicate  half-expressed  secrets  of  soul, 
which  imply  and  command  a certain  silence  and  peace 
and  humility  before  they  can  be  understood.  But 
there  are  times,  thank  Hea^mn  ! when  we  can  really 
close  the  doors  of  our  mind  to  racket,  and  emulation, 
and  all  the  noises  of  the  century  ; and  then  — the  sweep 
of  a single  grass  blade  on  the  breeze  suffices  for  our 
direction ; the  sight  of  the  blossom  shedding  its  petals 
softly  on  the  running  water  that  carries  them  away 
soothes  sorrow  into  peace ; the  glory  of  blown  autumn 
leaves  against  a golden  sunset  warms  a chilled  and 
tired  heart ; panting  with  the  dustiness  of  our  daily 
road  we  are  suddenly  cooled  and  refreshed  by  the 
view  of  a forest  glade  veiled  in  wet  mists  that  seem 
to  fall  on  the  brow  like  holy  water  from  holy  hands ; 
and  all  these  things,  I venture  to  say,  can  only  be 
expressed  and  brought  before  us  by  the  old  spirit  and 
the  old  methods  of  Japan. 

There  hangs  a little  scroll  picture  in  my  sitting- 
room  which  I would  not  exchange  for  a Claude  if 
mere  love  turned  the  scale.  It  has  helped  me  through 
many  long  hours  of  enforced  idleness,  and  has  often 
made  pain  lighter  to  bear.  It  shows  a woodland 
stream  overhung  by  the  branches  of  a wild  cherry 
tree,  in  bloom  and  past  the  blooming ; for  the  flowers 
are  raining  down  on  the  stream,  blown  sideways  by  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


331 


breeze  that  is  shaking  the  bough.  Beyond,  a point  of 
rock  stands  up,  and  makes  a swirl  in  the  stream,  and 
a few  of  the  petals  are  washing  against  it  like  the 
froth  of  a ripple.  That  is  all,  but 
it  is  much.  I can  almost  hear 
the  tinkle  of  the  stream,  the  deli- 
cate hum  of  the  flowers  and  water 
against  the  stone ; and  when  day 
falls  and  the  evening  comes  on 
warm  and  languid  already,  the 
breeze  that  is  shedding  the  blos- 
soms seems  to  be  whispering 
through  the  room. 

There  is  a new  art  in  Japan 
in  which  these  ethereally  delicate 
effects  are  well  worked  out,  and 
that  is  in  the  cut  velvet  pictures 
which,  little  known  till  a very 
few  years  ago,  have  reached  great 
beauty  and  perfection.  The  fab- 
ric is  of  extreme  fineness,  and 
lends  itself  well  to  such  details 
as  the  plumage  of  birds  or  the 
foliage  of  trees.  I have  seen 

, . A DRAWING  BY  KY5saI 

some  charming  snow  scenes 

worked  in  this,  and  groups  of  wild  duck,  where  the 
colours  were  a pure  pleasure  to  behold.  My  feminine 
appreciation,  however,  goes  out  to  the  embroideries, 
which  far  surpass  any  that  I have  ever  seen,  although 
we  have  been  collecting  them  for  years.  There  are. 


332 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


among  other  things,  two  idortieres  in  the  Exhibition, 
about  ten  feet  long  and  four  or  five  feet  wide.  The 
whole  of  the  ground  is  worked  in  a warm  fawn  tint, 
the  stitches  consisting  of  threads  of  silk  laid  close 

together  in  damask-like 
patterns,  which  only  show 
themselves  when  the  sur- 
face breaks  in  the  light ; 
these  threads  are  held  in 
place  by  stitches  of  a 
much  finer  silk  at  inter- 
vals of  a millimetre  apart, 
and  alternat- 
ing, so  that 
they  make 
the  effect  of 
a slight  mot- 
tling of  the 
whole  back- 
ground. On 
one  is  worked 
a maze  of 
pine-tree 

A DRAWING  BY  KYOSAI 

branches,  so 

full  and  strong  in  design,  so  tender  and  deep  in  colour- 
ing, that  they  do  not  affect  one  like  pictured  branches, 
but  as  the  real  tree,  with  all  its  significance  of  strength 
and  ruggedness,  its  friendly  needles  that  do  not  hurt, 
its  resinous  odour  and  sticky  bark.  The  other  curtain, 
against  the  same  background,  pictures  a mass  of  tiger 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPA^^ 


333 


lilies  and  clirysanthemums,  tossing  over  a bamboo  lattice 
gate  in  the  sunshine,  while  at  the  foot  of  the  hedge 
grow  docks  and  common  plants ; the  stitches  vary  accord- 
ing to  the  surface  and  thickness  which  they  are  in- 
tended to  portray  (and  splendid  effects  are  produced  by 
rnerely  changing  the  direction  of  the  thread),  and  from 
end  to  end  the  great  curtain  is  one  stretch  of  patient 
perfect  work. 

It  would  only  weary  you,  if  I went  through  a list 
of  productions  which  you  can  never  see.  There  is  a 
quality  in  Japanese  art  which  cannot  be  conveyed  by 
description.  When  I speak  of  ivory-carving,  people  at 
home  think  of  Hong  Kong  glove-boxes  and  brush-backs, 
or  of  the  Chinese  pagodas  under  glass  in  the  houses  of 
our  grandmothers.  Here  it  is  used  for  the  figures  of 
men  and  women,  birds  and  beasts ; and  it  lends  itself 
to  the  most  subtle  shades  of  expression,  to  the  closest 
imitation  of  nature.  I saw  a group  the  other  day,  the 
figure  of  a young  woman  turning  to  smile  at  a child 
who  had  just  run  to  catch  at  her  robe,  and  was  holding 
up  a bunch  of  flowers  towards  her.  The  thing  was 
what  we  have  seen  a thousand  times,  a young  mother 
moving  through  her  house,  arrested  by  an  eager  little 
one  with  an  offering  to  make.  One  almost  heard  the 
cry  of  the  child  as  he  caught  at  her  robe  and  held  up 
his  flowers,  half  withered  in  the  little  hot  palm ; her 
face  was  so  lifelike  that  it  seemed  to  change  expression 
as  one  looked  at  it ; the  mouth  was  serious,  but  the 
eyes  were  smiling  down  on  the  boy  in  affectionate 
amusement.  When  I say  that  the  figure  was  not  more 


334 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


than  twelve  inches  high,  you  will  understand  how  fine 
the  work  must  be  which  can  convey  such  completeness 
of  expression  in  these  miniature  proportions.  The  ivory, 

when  used  in  this  way,  is 
slightly  coloured  (warmed 
would  be  a better  word) 
where  face  and  flesh  tints 
are  needed,  and  the  finely 
wrought  fabric  of  the  dra- 
peries sometimes  flushes 
into  pink  or  pale  prim- 
rose ; but  if  there  is  colour- 
ing, it  is  so  delicate  that 
one  hardly  realises  it  at 
first,  so  imperceptibly  does 
it  melt  into  the  warm  pale- 
ness of  the  ivory. 

The  enamels  are  many 
and  beautiful,  and  there  is 
no  shadow  of  doubt  that  modern  enamel  in  every  way 
surpasses  the  old.  There  are  two  very  distinct  styles 
in  the  modern  enamel,  the  Kyoto  makers  preferring 
to  work  the  true  cloisonne,  where  the  design  is  laid 
on  in  gold  or  copper  wire  in  geometrical  (or  at  any  rate 
purely  decorative)  patterns  of  bewildering  fineness,  the 
colour  being  applied  to  the  interstices,  and  often  show- 
ing the  gold  surface  of  the  foundation  through  its  shim- 
mering and  jewel-like  tints.  This  is  the  most  costly 
form  of  modern  enamel,  and  large  sums  are  given  for 
small  pieces  of  it,  while  the  larger  ones  can  only  be 


A DRAWING  BY  KYOSAI 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


335 


bought  by  very  rich  people.  The  surface  of  the  finest 
cloisonne  is  so  perfect  that  I think  I should  know  it  in 
the  darlv  by  the  touch  alone ; and  there  is  no  more 
trace  of  the  original  workmanship  than  if  the  elaborately 
patterned  surface  were  the  bowl  of  a spoon. 

The  Tokyo  enameller  works  on  different  lines^  and 
produces  panels  which  look  like  fine  paintings  on  porcelain 
(landscapes,  birds,  or  animals  are  the  favourite  subjects 
for  these),  or  monochrome  vases  and  dishes,  which  are 
a triumph  of  workmanship,  but  convey  at  a little  dis- 
tance no  more  than  the  impression  of  delicate  china 
which  carries  no  particular 
value.  Of  course  on  close 
inspection  the  brilliant  qual- 
ity of  the  colour  and  its 
perfect  surface  proclaim  the 
identity  of  the  piece;  but 
on  the  whole  I care  more 
for  the  Kyoto  than  for  the 
Tokyo  enamel.  Of  the  lat- 
ter, however,  I have  two 
pieces  which  I greatly  prize. 

They  are  rather  tall  vases, 
in  the  deepest  sang-de-boeuf 
enamel,  ornamented  by 
heads  of  grass  (those  tall 
crimson  grasses  which 
smother  the  meadows  in  the  Tyrol)  growing  up  from  the 
base,  and  hovered  over  by  shadowy  butterflies.  Our  old 
Chinese  cloisonne  looks  heavy  and  laboured  beside  all 


336 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


this  easy  perfection  and  smoothness ; and  I think  the 
only  piece  I still  care  about  is  a very  ancient  bowl,  where 
the  cloisons  were  cut  deep  in  the  original  copper,  and 
then  filled  up  with  enamel.  It  is  strange  that  the  chief 
artists  in  Kyoto  and  Tokyo  both  bear  the  name  of  Nami- 
kawa,  though  I believe  they  are  not  related. 

I have  turned  out  of  Ichiban,  and  am  inhabiting 
one  of  the  smaller  houses  in  the  compound  during  the 
visit  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Connaught,  who 
arrived  here  from  Shanghai  on  the  15th,  and  came  at 
once  to  Tokyo  as  a convenient  starting-point  for  their 
excursions.  They  brought  a good  many  people  with 
them,  and  we  thought  it  better  to  give  up  our  house 
entirely  to  them,  since,  although  it  looks  large,  the 
number  of  guest-rooms  is  limited,  and  there  is  absolutely 
no  accommodation  for  foreign  servants.  I took  this 
opportunity  to  do  away  with  the  horrible  English  wall- 
papers with  which  the  TBoard  of  Works  had  disfigured 
the  rooms,  and  covered  the  walls  with  Japanese  papers, 
slightly  embossed  with  free  flower  patterns,  warm  white 
in  tint  and  with  a satin-like  surface,  which  made  the 
rooms  look  fresli  and  gay.  I brought  out  a quantity  of 
English  cretonnes  when  I came ; but  I have  never  been 
able  to  look  at  them  after  seeing  the  Japanese  cotton 
fabrics  with  their  pure  colours  and  true  designs,  so  the 
cretonnes  have  disappeared,  and  are  replaced  by  cool- 
looking crapes.  The  Duchess’s  room  was  very  pretty, 
all  the  draperies  being  soft  pink  crape  showered  with 
cherry  blossoms,  the  carpet  dove-colour,  and  the  silk 
quilts  and  cushions  pale  pink  lined  with  robin’s-egg  blue. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


337 


And  the  cherry  blossoms  came  out  to  greet  the  visitors ; 
the  gardens  were  forests  of  pink,  roselike  blooms,  and 
I had  all  the  house  filled  with  the  branches,  so  that  every 
place  was  a bower.  The  Duchess  was  delightfully  en- 
thusiastic about  them,  and  said  that  her  blossom  bed- 
room was  the  prettiest  she  had  ever  slept  in. 


BRINGING  HOME  THE  BLOSSOMS 


Yes,  the  cherry  blossoms  are  here  ; and  I hope  you 
will  not  think  me  wanting  in  loyalty  if  I say  that  they 
have  been  almost  more  of  an  excitement  to  me  than  the 
royal*  visitors.  I liave  been  very  ailing  all  the  spring, 
and  I suppose  flowers  mean  more  to  me  than  they  do 
when  I am  running  about  and  constantly  occupied. 


VOL.  I 


z 


338 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


And  this  is  my  first  sight  of  the  glory  of  Japan;  for 
the  crown  of  the  year  has  come  at  last,  and  the  country 
greets  its  beloved  Empress’s  birthday  by  an  outburst  of 
bewildering  beauty  such  as  no  words  can  convey  to 
those  who  have  not  seen  it  for  themselves.  Tokyo  is 
the  city  of  cherry  blossoms;  every  avenue  is  planted 
with  them  in  full,  close-set  rows  ; every  garden  boasts 
its  carefully  nurtured  trees ; over  the  river  at  Mukojima 
they  dip  to  the  water,  and  spread  away  inland  like  a 
rosy  tidal  wave;  and  the  great  park  at  Uyeno  seems  to 
have  caught  the  sunset  clouds  of  a hundred  skies,  and 
kept  them  captive  along  its  wide  forest  ways.  In  their 
capricious  glory,  the  double  cherry  blossoms  surpass 
every  other  splendour  of  nature  ; and  it  seems  but  right 
and  just  that,  during  the  week  or  two  when  they  trans- 
figure the  world,  people  should  flock,  day  after  day,  to 
look  at  them,  and  store  up  the  recollection  of  their 
loveliness  until  next  year  shall  bring  it  round  again. 
There  is  a tall  grove  of  cherry  trees  in  my  garden,  and 
as  I look  from  my  upper  window  I see  the  soft  branches 
moving  against  the  sky,  and  far  away,  rosy  white  as 
they,  Fujiyama,  the  queen  of  mountains,  flushing  in  the 
sunset.  Then  life  seems  full  of  promises  and  peace. 
The  peace  will  remain ; and  if  the  promises  are  not  all 
fulfilled,  it  will  be  because  our  life  is  a beginning  whose 
end  is  the  summer  of  another  clime,  and  therefore,  like 
the  spring,  it  must  be  here  no  perfect  thing.” 

But  I must  return  to  iny  chronicle,  which  will  prob- 
ably interest  you  more  than  cherry-blossom  metaphysics. 
Everybody  except  myself  (I  was  too  ill  to  travel)  went 


CHERRY  TREES  IN  UYENO  PARK 


/ 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


341 


down  to  Yokohama  to  meet  the  Duke  and  Duchess. 
The  Ancona  got  in  half  an  hour  before  she  was  expected ; 
but  warning  of  the  arrival  was  given  by  the  guns  of  the 
forts  and  those  of  the  battle-ships  in  port.  The  visitors 
landed  at  the  Admiralty  Hatoba  (or  quay),  where  they 
were  met  by  those  of  our  people  who  had  not  gone  on 
board;  but  they  were  officially  received  at  the  station, 
where  the  British  residents  presented  an  address  of 
welcome,  and  a bouquet  from  the  Yokohama  ladies 

was  given  to  the  Duchess  by  Madgie  M , the 

beautiful  child  of  whom  I wrote  you  last  winter,  when 
I had  seen  her  at  the  children’s  fancy  ball.^  The 
Duchess  was  much  struck  with  the  wonderful  little  face. 
As  the  royal  visitors  had  been  rather  overwhelmed  with 
entertainments  given  them  in  Shanghai  and  Hong 
Kong,  the  English  people  here  wisely  refrained  from 
taking  up  their  time  in  that  way,  and  they  were  left 
free  to  devote  it  all  to  sight-seeing,  as  of  course  they 
wished  to  do. 

The  Duchess,  indeed,  is  an  ardent  sight-seer,  and 
seems  to  have  only  one  dread ; namely,  that  she  should 
miss  some  interesting  experience  which  the  ordinary 
traveller  would  ferret  out  for  himself.  Before  the  party 
arrived,  word  was  sent  that  they  wished  to  travel  quite 
unofficially  so  as  to  have  all  possible  freedom  for  sight- 
seeing; and  this  desire  of  theirs  tallied  with  H ’s 

feeling  that  it  was  better  for  them,  in  the  excited  state 
of  the  country,  not  to  accept  any  very  pompous  Imperial 
or  official  hospitality  which  could  attract  the  unwelcome 


1 This  letter  has  been  omitted. 


342 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


attentions  of  the  fanatics  and  the  soshi.  The  Emperor 
would  have  wished  them  to  be  his  guests  during  the 
whole  of  their  stay,  and  proposed  to  put  them  up  in 
the  Enryo  Kwan  Palace;  but  in  view  of  their  own  desire 
to  move  about  freely,  and  because  of  one  rather  embar- 
rassing misunderstanding-  in  the  past,  it  was  thought 
better  that  they  should  not  accept  the  gracious  invitation 
in  its  entirety.  The  misunderstanding  rose  from  an 
event  which  has  never  been  explained,  but  which  made 
a most  painful  impression  in  Japan.  At  the  time  of 
the  Queen’s  Jubilee  in  1887,  Prince  Komatsu,  the  Im- 
perial Prince  nearest  to  the  throne,  went  to  England 
to  take  the  Grand  Star  of  the  Chrysanthemum  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  who  unfortunately  never  returned  the 
visit,  though  Prince  Komatsu  stayed  some  time  in 
England.  The  Princess  accompanied  him,  but  very 
little  attention  was  shown  to  the  Emperor’s  cousin ; and 
this  was  the  more  deplorable  because  when  the  Duke 
of  Clarence  and  the  Duke  of  York  had  visited  Japan 
some  time  before,  they  were  received  with  open  arms, 
honours  and  kindness  were  showered  upon  them,  and 
nothing  was  left  undone  which  could  add  to  the  pleasure 
of  their  stay.  All  this  added  to  the  kind  significance 
of  the  Emperor’s  invitation,  but  seemed  to  point  towards 
declining  to  put  our  royal  family  under  still  heavier  ob- 
ligations to  his  Majesty  while  those  already  existing  had 
not  received  ordinary  recognition. 

At  all  events  the  Duke  and  Duchess  have  made  the 
most  of  their  liberty,  and  from  the  moment  they  arrived 
in  Tokyo  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  Court 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


343 


carriages  which  were  sent  every  morning  to  carry  them 
about.  They  did  consent  to  come  up  from  Shimbashi 
Station  in  these  pretty  glass  coaches,  but  an  hour  after 
their  arrival  insisted  on  going  out  in  jinrikshas,  a long 
procession  through  the  dust,  to  see  the  curio  shops. 
Public  jinrikshas  correspond  to  omnibuses  in  London, 
and  official  people  do  not  use  them.  The  private 
jinriksha  may  be  a very  dainty  and  luxurious  little 
affair ; but  as  we  ourselves  always  use  carriages,  we 
only  keep  one  such  private  perambulator  for  our  Eng- 
lish servants,  and  when  nine  were  ordered  for  the  royal 
party  they  had  to  be  brought  in  from  the  nearest  stand 
in  the  street,  with  their  dusty  bare-legged  coolies,  who 
were  of  course  radiant  with  pride  at  being  employed  on 
such  distinguished  service. 

Two  chamberlains  and  an  Imperial  equerry  have 
been  detailed  off  to  accompany  the  Duke  and  Duchess 
wherever  they  go.  One  of  these  gentlemen  pleaded 
sudden  indisposition,  and  disappeared  in  the  direction 
of  the  Palace  when  the  jinrikshas  were  ordered;  the 
others  meekly  took  their  places  in  the  procession  with 
an  expression  of  resigned  despair.  The  Court  coachman 
looked  on  in  profound  amazement,  and  drove  slowly 
after  the  disappearing  chamberlain;  and  even  Inspector 
Peacock,^  the  head  of  the  escort,  the  Chiefs  right  hand 
in  numberless  ways,  shook  his  head  disapprovingly,  and 

1 Inspector  Peter  Peacock  is  a beloved  and  familiar  figure  in  the  British 
community  in  Japan,  and  has  seen  long  service  there.  He  joined  the  escort 
in  February,  1867,  and  has  served  under  Sir  Harry  Parkes,  Sir  Francis 
Plunkett,  Mr.  Hugh  Fraser,  The  Hon.  Le  Poer  Trench,  and  Sir  Ernest 
Satow.  — 1898. 


344 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


was  heard  to  say  it 
was  ‘^most  unusual/’ 
the  strongest’  term  of 
disapprobation  in  his 
vocabulary. 

From  that  moment 
the  visitors  have  been 
flying  from  one  sight 
to  another  with  an 
energy  and  persistency 
which  are  rather  sur- 
prising when  one  con- 
siders that  they  have 
been  for  so  long  in 
what  is  supposed  to 
be  an  enervating  cli- 
mate. 'Everything  that 
could  be  done  ” from  Tokyo  has  been  done  thoroughly 
— Kamakura,  Nikko,  Hakone,  Miyanoshita,  Atami;  from 
Miyanoshita  the  Duchess  walked  most  of  the  way  to 
Atami  over  the  route  which  we  took  in  the  heavy 
snow  last  December.  To  be  sure  the  road  is  easier 
in  coming  from  Miyanoshita  than  in  going  to  it,  since 
the  worst  part  of  the  stiff  climb  up  to  the  Ten  Province 
Stone  is  an  easy  drop  if  one  is  coming  down  from  it ; 
but  a respectable  walk  of  nearly  sixteen  miles  remains, 
and  the  Duchess  used  her  chair  and  coolies  very  little 
I think  she  rather  surprised  the  small  foreign  com- 
munity by  the  extreme  plainness  of  her  dress,  generally 
a light  flannel  coat  and  skirt  (made  by  her  sewing- 


INSPECTOR  PEACOCK 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


345 


maid)  and  a serviceable  sailor  hat.  Slie  is  daintily  neat 
and  trim,  and  when  slie  clicks  her  little  heels  together 
and  bows  straight  from  the  waist  reminds  one  irresistibly 
of  a smart  German  officer.  Soldierliness  is  in  the  blood 
after  all,  and  the  daughter  of  the  Red  Prince  has  an 
honest  right  to  her  share.  She  is  not  exactly  pretty, 
but  holds  herself  admirably,  and  looks  so  young  that 
her  rather  shy  stiff  manner  seems  to  suit  the  light 
girlish  figure  and  the  erect  little  head.  She  is  every- 
thing that  is  kind  and  pleasant,  and  has  the  happy 
gift  of  getting  amusement  out  of  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
travel,  even  rough  inns  and  bad  weather,  and  has  man- 
aged to  see  more  in  her  short  visit  than  hundreds  of 
people  who  have  stayed  months  and  years  in  the 
country. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


DANJURO,  A GREAT  ACTOR.  — HIS  POSITION  IN  JAPAN.  — A 
FOUNDATION  STONE. — THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  JAPANESE 
IDEALS  BY  ENGLISH  EDUCATION.  — PRINCE  KOMATSU  AND 
TWO  IMPERIAL  ORDERS.  — DEPARTURE  OF  THE  DUKE 
AND  DUCHESS  OF  CONNAUGHT. — A VERY  SAD  STORY 


T is  a year  since  we  landed,  and  I am  sure  I have 


not  yet  seen  half  the  things  which  our  energetic 
visitors  managed  to  do  ” before  they  left.  That  which 
most  amused  the  Duke  was,  I think,  a Japanese  play, 
or  that  part  of  it  which  it  is  possible  to  see  in  one 
afternoon.  Danjuro  Ichikawa  was  acting  one  of  his 
great  parts,  in  which  he  assumes  four  or  five  charac- 
ters of  men  and  women,  youth  and  age,  all  of  which 
he  personates  so  entirely  that  it  seems  impossible  to 
believe  that  he  is  anything  but  what  he  appears  to  be 
at  the  moment.  He  is  a remarkably  tall  and  gaiint- 
looking  man,  about  fifty  years  old,  rather  like  Henry 
Irving  in  his  general  appearance ; and  yet  he  person- 
ates a dancing-girl,  an  old  woman,  a boy,  a court  lady, 
with  the  most  bewildering  realism.  All  the  women’s 
parts  are  played  by  boys  or  men,  in  Japan.  The 
Japanese  practice  of  wearing  a mask,  or  a partial 


May,  1890. 


346 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


347 


mask,  on  the  stage  is  of  course  a notable  help  towards 
the  perfection  of  the  disguise ; but  it  would  be  easier 
to  make  up  the  face  of  a (jdslia  than  to  imitate  her 
dancing,  with  its  curious  flowing  movements  like  the 
curves  of  a pennon  on  the  wind,  its  sudden  agile  turns, 
changing  the  point  of  gravity  with  such  rapidity  and 
precision  that  the  dancer’s  body  seems  to  vibrate  like 
a bow-string  whence  the  shaft  has  but  now  sped. 

A great  actor  in  Japan  is  courted  and  flattered  even 
as  in  England,  openly  and  secretly.  Many  a girl  in 
the  seclusion  of  an  aristocratic  household  is  never 
allowed  to  make  acquaintance  with  a man  who  is  not 
a near  relation ; but  she  is  taken  to  the  theatre  per- 
haps once  in  her  life  to  see  some  exceptionally  moral 
play,  and  sits  through  the  whole  day  in  the  open  box 
with  her  father  and  mother,  drinking  in  all  the 
speeches  of  the  hero  on  the  stage,  admiring  his  cour- 
age, his  beauty,  rejoicing  in  his  triumphs,  weeping 
for  his  misfortunes.  Who  can  be  surprised  when  the 
poor  child  falls  in  love  with  the  actor,  writes  to  him, 
bribes  her  maid  to  carry  presents  to  him,  presents  of 
flowers  and  fruit  and  poems,  all  significant  of  the 
most  profound  devotion  and  admiration  ? Love  is  such 
a strange  thing  here.  It  passes  by  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  women,  and  singles  out  one  poor  little 
creature,  who  suddenly  becomes  a heroine,  an  ideal,  a 
canonised  saint  of  love,  throwing  the  world  and  life 
and  honour  at  its  feet  in  a kind  of  glory  of  self-anni- 
hilation, and  as  often  as  not  obtaining  such  martyrdom 
as  death  for  its  sake  can  give.  It  is  whispered  that 


348 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


Danjuro  has  been  much  loved ; however  that  may  be, 
he  is  wonderfully  kind  and  good  to  his  family,  main- 
taining a whole  tribe  of  relations,  who  keep  him  poor 
in  spite  of  his  great  popularity,  and  who  live  on  his 
bounty  wuth  kindly  indulgence,  as  is  the  manner  of 
people  here  when  one  member  of  the  family  is  earn- 
ing large  sums  of  money. 

The  Duke  was  delighted  with  his  acting  and  dancing, 
and  sent  for  him  to  thank  him  for  the  pleasure  he  had 
given.  Danjuro  was  much  gratified,  especially  by  being 
compared  to  Henry  Irving,  of  whom  he  said  he  had  heard 
much  and  greatly  desired  to  see.  The  Duke  told  him 
that  he  ought  to  come  to  Europe  ; but  Danjuro  replied 
rather  sadly  that  he  should  never  have  time  for  that, 
and  of  course  he  de^^recated  his  own  attainments,  as 
polite  people  have  to  do  here.  Shortly  after  the  inter- 
view he  sent  a present  to  his  Koyal  Highness,  consisting 
of  two  plants  of  rare  chrysanthemums  in  full  bloom,  a 
costly  offering  at  this  season,  and  in  Tokyo,  where  valued 
plants  command  a price  unknown  in  Europe. 

The  Duke  has  bought  some  beautiful  things  at  the 
Exhibition,  notably  two  splendid  vases  to  take  to  the 
Queen.  As  nothing  may  be  carried  away  until  the  Ex- 
hibition closes,  there  wa§  some  little  trouble  to  induce 
the  authorities  to  allow  the  fairings  to  be  packed  ; but 
all  has  been  made  right  now.  He  collected  also  some 
beautiful  embroideries,  kimonos  and  fukusas  as  presents 
for  various  relations ; and  both  he  and  the  Duchess  have 
spent  so  much  on  curios  in  both  Tokyo  and  Kyoto  that 
their  visit  will  long  be  remembered  by  the  curio-dealers. 


THE  DUKE  or  CONNAUGHT 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


351 


The  record  buyer  of  last  year  was  Mr.  Liberty,  who  is 
reported  to  have  spent  £25,000  in  Japan,  and  whose 
influence  was  felt  in  a more  elevating  way;  for  he  had 
the  courage  to  tell  the  Japanese  that  in  certain  products, 
especially  in  their  brocades  and  silks,  they  were  follow- 
ing debased  models  and  losing  their  sense  of  beauty  by 
attempting  to  Europeanise  the  designs  and  colours.  They 
seem  to  have  taken  his  words  to  heart,  for  those  shown 
in  the  Exhibition  are  purely  satisfactory. 

The  laying  of  one  foundation  stone  was  asked  of  the 
Duchess ; and  I think  she  felt  that  the  loyal  Britishers 
had  on  the  whole  been  pretty  forbearing.  The  stone 
was  the  beginning  of  a kind  of  Cottage  Hospital  con- 
nected with  the  Anglican  Mission  School  of  St.  Hilda’s. 
The  ladies  who  keep  the  school  have  one  or  two  dispen- 
saries in  the  town,  which  are  widely  resorted  to  by  the 
sick  poor ; and  it  is  thought  that  much  good  may  be 
done  by  this  little  hospital,  which  is  to  start  with  twelve 
beds.  I do  not  sympathise  greatly  with  the  objects  of 
the  school,  which  only  receives  girls  of  a class  who  can 
pay  very  highly,  and  gives  them,  in  secular  teaching, 
only  that  which  they  could  have,  on  a very  much  higher 
scale,  in  the  various  high  schools  where  the  best  foreign 
teachers  are  employed.  The  Christian  element,  although 
enforced  by  Bible  and  catechism  lessons,  appears  most 
strongly  in  a kind  of  rough  contempt  for  all  the  devout 
traditions  of  the  Japanese.  Ancestor  worship,  which  is 
such  a tremendous  factor  in  Japanese  life,  instead  of 
being  transformed  into  tender  and  prayerful  remem- 
brance of  the  dead  and  a desire  to  imitate  their  virtues. 


352 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


is  stigmatised  as  idolatry,  and  the  Protestant  dogma 
regarding  departed  spirits  is  put  forward  in  all  its  bru- 
tality as  the  only  recognised  truth.  No  one  who  has  not 
lived  among  them  can  imagine  how  shocking  this  is  to 
the  feelings  of  the  Japanese ; for  with  them  parental  and 
filial  devotion  rank  as  the  chief  virtues,  and  make  the 
harmony  of  the  family.  Minor  prejudices  and  refine- 
ments, the  duties  of  hospitality  and  of  friendship,  the 
thousand  gentlenesses  which  give  so  much  beauty  to 
the  family  life  of  the  Japanese  — these,  instead  of  being 
wisely  utilised  and  encouraged,  are  pushed  aside,  ridden 
over  rough-shod,  in.  the  attempt  to  transform  the  shy, 
quiet  Japanese  maiden  into  the  healthy,  selfish,  rough- 
and-tumble  school-girl  of  our  own  clime.  The  education 
seems  to  have  little  to  do  with  the  life  which  awaits  the 
pupil  as  soon  as  she  returns  to  her  own  home.  As  for 
morality,  consideration  for  others,  scrupulous  cleanliness, 
duty,  economy  — all  these  are  as  strongly  insisted  on 
in  Japanese  education  as  in  our  own,  and  I think  more 
successfully  instilled  than  in  any  ordinary  English  school. 
I hope  I am  not  being  unjust  to  people  for  whom  I have 
the  greatest  personal  respect ; but  I must  say  that  the 
manners  and  appearance  of  girls  living  in  the  English 
and  American  schools  here  do  not  compare  favourably 
with  those  of  girls  brought  up  at  home  and  merely 
attending  school  for  a few  hours  in  the  day  after  the 
present  Japanese  fashion.  I was  painfully  shocked  in 
going  over  the  dormitories  at  St.  Hilda’s  by  the  dirty  and 
untidy  appearance  of  the  cubicles  where  the  girls  slept, 
contrasting  strangely  with  the  expensive  finery  which 


THE  DUCHESS  OF  CONNAUGHT 


VOL.  I 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


35.5 


they  are  encouraged  to  wear ; and,  system  for  system, 
the  Anglican  one,  costly  as  it  is,  compares  badly  with 
that  adopted  in  our  convent  schools,  where  the  most 
rigid  economy  has  to  be  practised,  and  considerations 
of  comfort  must  take  a secondary  place.  A room  built 
full  of  small  cubicles,  with  barely  space  to  pass  along 
the  passage  into  which  they  open,  gives  an  impression 
of  stuffiness  and  darkness  very  different  from  the  huge 
upper  space  at  Tsukiji,  for  instance,  where  one  whole 
wall  is  a window  opening  on  a verandah  as  long  as 
the  house,  where  only  white  dimity  curtains  divide  the 
beds,  and  the  air  is  fresh  and  sweet  on  the  hottest  day. 
Also,  pagan  or  Christian,  I think  the  girls  are  glad  to  see, 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning  when  the  sun  strikes  on 
it  gaily,  and  the  last  at  night  when  the  little  lamp  burns 
low,  the  figure  of  the  Mother  with  the  Infant  in  her 
arms,  and  the  pictured  angels,  who,  as  they  are  told,  stand 
by  every  white  bed  all  night  long,  to  keep  harm  away. 
It  would  be  strange,  indeed,  if  the  desolate,  untidy  cell 
without  a single  symbol  of  prayer  or  sweetness  proved  a 
better  growing  ground  for  a young  girl’s  heart  and  soul. 

But  the  Hospital  is  a different  matter,  a thing  in 
the  management  of  which  Englishwomen  usually  excel ; 
and  I wish  it  God-speed  with  all  my  heart.  I am  sure 
the  fact  that  the  Duchess  of  Connaught  laid  the  first 
stone  and  said  so  many  pleasant  things  about  it  will 
help  it  on  with  its  subscriptions.  That  ceremony  took 
place  in  a pause  between  a flight  back  from  Nikko  and 
one  off  to  Kyoto,  whence  the  Duke  and  Duchess  returned 
here  and  stayed  a day  or  two,  then  went  to  Miyanoshita 


356 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


band  could  be  procured  was  at  Yokusuka,  the  naval 
dockyard  a little  farther  down  the  coast.  A Japanese 
naval  officer  who  was  by  chance  in  the  hotel  wired  to 
Yokusuka,  and  the  band  was  immediately  sent  up.  The 
Duke  was  very  much  pleased  with  the  promptness  and 
goodwill  shown,  and  insisted  upon  inviting  all  the  other 
guests  in  the  hotel  to  come  and  enjoy  the  music,  which 
helped  to  pass  an  otherwise  dull  evening. 


and  Kamakura.  At  Kamakura  they  spent  one  night 
at  the  Kaihin-in,  and  left  everybody  delighted  by  their 
pleasant  kind  ways.  There  is  very  little  to  do  at  the 
Kamakura  Hotel  in  the  evening ; and  the  Duchess  asked 
if  a band  could  not  be  found  to  play  after  dinner.  There 
was  none  in  the  vicinity ; and  the  nearest  place  where  a 


A CORNER  OF  THE  DRAWING-ROOM 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


357 


They  got  back  to  Tokyo  in  time  to  meet  the 
Emperor,  who  came  up  from  Kyoto  on  the  6th,  and 
gave  a dinner  at  the  Palace  on  the  7th.  Various  other 
entertainments  had  been  given  for  the  royal  visitors  by 
the  Princes  and  the  Ministers.  On  the  morning  of  the 
8th,  Prince  Komatsu  arrived  at  the  Legation  to  return 
the  Duke’s  visit,  the  Prince  taking  the  place  of  the 
Emperor,  who  cannot  pay  a visit  in  a foreign  house  in 
his  own  dominion.  When  the  Duke  of  Clarence  and 
the  Duke  of  York  were  here  nine  years  ago,  the 
Emperor  called  on  them  in  person ; but  they  were 
staying  at  one  of  his  own  palaces,  the  Enrio  Kwan. 

Prince  Komatsu  came,  without  warning,  at  a quar- 
ter to  nine,  and  neither  the  Duke  nor  the  Duchess  was 
quite  prepared  for  such  an  early  pleasure.  It  was, 
however,  the  only  time  which  could  have  been  chosen, 
since  they  were  to  leave  for  Yokohama  before  eleven 

o’clock.  Fortunately  H was  dressed,  and  Prince 

Komatsu,  always  the  kindest  and  cheeriest  of  royalties, 
took  everything  in  very  good  part.  He  brought  many 
messages  from  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  and  two  gifts 
of  another  kind  — the  Grand  Star  of  the  Chrysanthe- 
mum for  the  Duke,  and  a most  lovely  little  decoration, 
the  Grand  Star  of  the  Crown,  for  the  Duchess,  who 
was  very  much  pleased.  Then  all  the  good-byes  were 
said,  and  any  number  of  people  accompanied  them  on 
board  the  steamer,  which  sailed  at  one  o’clock  for 
Vancouver. 

In  Japan  they  have  left  a charming  impression,  if 
one  can  judge  by  the  outbursts  of  enthusiasm  in  the 


358 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


local  newspapers,  and  by  all  the  pleasant  things  said 
about  them  by  the  Court  people  and  officials  here. 
One  paper  says  that  they  showed  the  same  kindly 
and  courteous  mien  to  high  and  low,  and  that  people 
forgot  the  honour  and  only  remembered  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  such  gracious  personages.” 

There  is  a sad  story  which  illustrates  a very  differ- 
ent side  of  life  in  Japan,  and  which  for  that  reason 
perhaps  ought  to  be  told  in  these  letters.  I do  not 
want  you  to  think  that  existence  is  one  long  series  of 
cotillon  figures  out  here;  it  can  be  very  sad  and  very 
bitter.  I do  not  think  I was  ever  more  sorry  for  any- 
body in  my  life  than  for  a poor  Canadian  lady  whose 
husband  was  murdered  in  a most  horrible  way  a little 

while  ago.  Mr.  L was  assistant  teacher  at  the 

Tokyo  Eiwa  Gakko,  a Canadian  Methodist  School  for 
boys  and  girls.  The  two  divisions  were  quite  separate, 

and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L lived  in  the  girls’  section,  as  did 

one  or  two  lady  teachers,  young  Canadian  girls.  The 
school  has  been  established  a long  time,  and  is  rather 

a popular  one,  and  Mr.  L was  much  beloved  by 

the  scholars.  They  went  up  to  Miyanoshita  for  the 
Easter  holiday,  and  returned  on  April  4th,  a day  sooner 
than  they  had  intended,  owing,  I think,  to  bad  weather 
at  Miyanoshita.  The  fees  of  the  pupils  had  just  been 
paid  in,  and  there  were  some  hundreds  of  dollars  in 
a safe  on  the  ground  floor,  the  keys  of  the  safe  being 

kept  by  Mrs.  L in  her  room.  A watchman,  such 

as  we  all  employ,  was  supposed  to  make  his  round 
every  hour  through  the  night  to  see  that  all  was  right. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


359 


Only  a few  girls  had  returned,  as  the  5th  was  the  day 
fixed  for  reopening  after  the  Easter  holidays,  and  the 

boys’  building  was  entirely  empty.  The  L s,  tired 

with  travelling,  had  gone  to  bed  early,  and  so  had  tlie 
two  girl  teachers,  all  occupying  rooms  that  open  into 

the  same  corridor.  Mrs.  L has  a dear  little  girl, 

a tiny  thing,  who  slept  beside  her.  The  watchman 
had  gone  back  to  his  room  at  eleven  o’clock,  after 
making  his  rounds,  when  he  was  terrified  by  the  sud- 
den appearance  there  of  two  young  men,  tall  and 
strong,  wearing  masks  over  their  faces,  and  having 
their  gowns  drawn  up  through  their  girdles  as  people 
do  here  when  they  are  preparing  for  rough  work. 
They  were  dressed  like  labourers,  and  carried  heavy 
sword-blades  fastened  to  bamboo  sticks.  They  seized 
and  bound  the  man,  and  then  asked  him  where  the 
money-box  was  kept.  He  told  them  at  once,  and  also 

where  the  keys  were,  in  Mrs.  L ’s  room,  where  she 

and  her  husband  and  child  were  asleep.  The  watch- 
man’s account  of  the  occurrences  seems  suspicious  in 
many  ways ; but  all  the  inquiries  point  to  his  having 
only  been  guilty  of  the  worst  of  all  crimes  — abject 
cowardice. 

The  next  part  of  the  story  was  told  me  by  Mrs. 

L herself.  Awakened  out  of  her  first  sleep,  she 

sat  up  suddenly  in  bed,  and  saw  that  her  door  was 
open,  and  that  in  the  light  of  a lamp  which  shone  in 
from  the  hall  two  poorly  dressed  men  were  making 
their  way  round  the  foot  of  her  bed.  Nan  deska?” 

(\Yhat  is  it  ?)  she  cried  out ; and  a voice,  which  she 


360 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


says  she  knows,  answered,  ^^We  have  business  here.” 
She  saw  what  she  thought  must  be  sharpened  bamboos 
in  their  hands,  and  in  sudden  fear  clasped  her  baby 

closely  to  her.  Mr.  L had  been  awakened  by  the 

quick  words,  and  without  an  instant’s  hesitation  jumped 
out  of  bed  and  rushed  at  the  robbers,  though  he  had 

only  his  naked  hands  to 
attack  them  with.  Al- 
though they  were  armed, 
they  retreated  to  the  door ; 

but  poor  Mr.  L , as 

any  other  brave  man  would 
have  done,  followed  them, 
and,  as  I think,  must 
have  attempted  to  wrest 
their  w^eapons  from  them. 
After  all,  he  was  the  only 
man  in  the  house,  and  it 
contained  girls  and  teach- 
ers committed  to  his  care. 
Being  what  he  was,  he 
could  hardly  shrink  back 
“EVIL  SPIRITS  without”  liis  room  and  let 

these  murderous  burglars  have  the  run  of  the  house. 
So  he  followed  them,  and  at  the  door  a fierce  scuffle 

took  place.  Mrs.  L , till  then  divided  between  her 

fears  for  the  child  and  her  fears  for  her  husband,  heard 

the  quick  rattle  of  blows,  and  ran  to  help  Mr.  L , 

who  by  this  time  had  followed  the  men  into  the  nar- 
row corridor  outside.  He  seemed  to  be  unconscious 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


361 


of  having  received  any  wounds,  and  was  attacking 
them  desperately ; and  they  were  raining  blows  upon 

him  with  those  awful  blades.  Mrs.  L realised  that 

the  men  were  using  sword-blades,  and  threw  herself 
between  him  and  them ; she  was  frightfully  wounded 
in  the  struggle,  but  she  could  not  save  her  husband, 
who  at  last  fell,  quite  dead,  at  her  feet.  Then  the 
robbers  went  as  they  had  come,  untracked,  undisturbed, 
except  by  one  of  the  school-girls,  who,  poor  child,  came 
running  from  her  room  at  the  noise,  and  meeting  them 
on  the  stairs  took  them  for  house-coolies,  and  asked 

them  what  was  the  matter.  When  Mrs.  L saw  her 

husband  at  her  feet,  she  gave  one  terrible  scream, 
which  brought  out  the  teachers  from  their  rooms. 
They  saw  that  he  was  dead ; but  she  could  not  believe 
it,  and  made  them  carry  him  to  his  bed,  since  her  own 
hand  was  useless,  two  fingers  having  been  severed  by 
the  sword-blades,  while  a gash  on  the  eyebrow  had 
laid  her  forehead  open.  She  was  unconscious  of  being 
hurt,  and  with  her  left  hand  quickly  dashed  water 
again  and  again  over  her  husband’s  face,  Avashed  it 
tenderly,  and  did  all  that  she  and  the  girls  could  do 
to  restore  him  to  consciousness.  Just  think  of  those 
three  Avomen  and  that  poor  dead  man,  and  not  a soul 
to  do  anything  for  them ! It  is  surely  one  of  the 

most  pitiful  stories  I ever  heard.  Suddenly  Mrs.  L 

realised  it  all : her  husband  Avas  dead,  her  only  child 
lay  beside  him,  a tiny  helpless  thing  that  needed  her, 
and  she  Avas  bleeding  to  death  as  she  stood.  So  very 
quietly  she  explained  to  one  girl  how  to  make  a tour- 


362 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


niquet  on  her  arm,  and  sent  the  other  to  reassure  the 
school-girls  in  the  dormitory ; and  then,  as  she  told 
me  afterwards,  she  felt  that  a terribly  decisive  moment 
in  her  life  had  come.  Unless  grace  were  given  her 
to  forgive  her  enemies  fully  now,  even  while  her  mur- 
dered husband  lay  before  her,  she  knew  certainly  that 
she  would  never  be  able  to  do  so  later ; and  so,  with 
an  intense  effort,  she  forced  herself  to  say,  God  bless 
the  Japanese,”  and  she  told  me  that  from  that  moment 
she  never  felt  rancour  or  hatred  or  any  desire  of 
revenge. 

The  watchman  is  in  prison,  but  no  trace  has  been 
obtained  of  the  two  burglars,  although  every  kind  of 
machinery  has  been  put  in  motion  to  find  them.  That 
they  were  burglars  seems  evident;  robbers  here  con- 
stantly supply  themselves  with  swords,  which  they  use 

freely  when  attacked.  But  poor  Mr.  L is  the  first 

foreigner  who  has  been  killed  in  Japan  for  twenty  years, 
and  the  outrage  has  excited  an  intense  feeling  of  anger 
and  apprehension  among  the  foreigners,  and  one  of  humil- 
iation and  profound  regret  among  the  Japanese.  Mrs. 

L has  had  almost  a miraculous  recovery  from  her 

wounds ; but  she  looks  terribly  shaken,  and  will  not  be 
able  to  use  what  remains  of  her  hand  for  a very  long  time. 
A brave  woman  — the  widow  of  a brave  man  ! 


CHAPTER  XIX 


KAMAKURA,  TO-DAY  AND  YESTERDAY.  — THE  STRANGE  AD- 
VENTURES OF  Y^ORITOMO.  — MASAKO’S  MIRROR  AND  A 
WONDERFUL  DREAM. — YORITOMO’S  TRIUMPH. — “DEATH 
HAS  CONQUERED.” —A  MOONLIGHT  PILGRIMAGE.  — THE 
GREAT  BUDDHA. — KWANNON,  THE  LOVER  OF  HUMANITY 

Kamakura,  May,  1890. 

^TTHEN  the  excitement  of  the  royal  visit  was  over, 
’ ’ it  was  rather  pleasant  to  leave  the  smaller  house, 
and  come  back  to  our  own  dens,  and  sit  on  our  verandah 
in  the  May  moonlight,  talking  over  what  has  been  of  late 
an  inexhaustible  subject  of  interest  — the  building  of  a 
Japanese  house  far  away  in  the  hills,  where  we  hope  to 
pass  our  summers  in  future.  The  question  of  six-  or 
eight-feet  wide  verandahs,  of  glass  or  paper  slioji,  of  how 
few  trees  need  be  cut  down  from  the  pine  grove  in  which 
the  nest  is  built  — all  this  has  been  a constant  amuse- 
ment to  me  during  the  spring.  At  the  end  of  this  month 
I hope  we  shall  be  able  to  take  possession  of  the  little 
home,  and  then  you  shall  have  a full  description  of  it. 
Meanwhile  I have  had  a pleasant  change  in  spending  a 
fortnight  at  Kamakura,  a little  place  an  hour  from  Yoko- 
hama, very  sheltered  and  quiet,  close  to  the  sea.  Like 
Atami,  it  lies  between  two  spurs  of  hills,  which  seem  to 

363 


364 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


be  carrying  it  down  to  the  water ; and  a plain,  far  wider 
than  the  Atami  one,  stretches  inland,  covered  with  rice- 
fields,  and  crossed  here  and  there  by  some  ancient  avenues 
of  pines  — sad  old  pines,  crippled  and  scarred,  and  stand- 
ing at  irregular  intervals,  because  their  comrades  in  arms 
have  fallen  in  the  ranks  and  lie  crumbling  at  their  feet. 
In  the  daytime  a few  families  of  peasants  work  at  the 
rice-tilling,  standing  up  to  their  knees  in  the  horrible 
liquid  dressing  which  nourishes  the  precious  crops ; here 
and  there  an  empty  hut,  kept  only  by  the  family  dog, 
stands  close  to  the  road ; everything  is  poverty-stricken 
and  desolate ; sand  dunes  rise  near  the  sea,  and  are 
planted  with  scattered  pines,  which  seem  holding  out 
their  arms  as  if  to  warn  the  waves  not  to  come  and 
gaze  too  near  on  the  desolation  which  has  swept 
over  the  site  of  one  of  the  most  splendid  cities  in 
the  world.  The  Kamakura  Plain,  wide  as  it  is,  the 
foot-hills,  and  the  valleys  running  up  into  them,  were 
all  covered  once  with  streets  and  temples,  and  full  of 
the  clash  and  the  colour  of  the  Daimyos’  processions. 
The  air  must  be  thick  with  ghosts  (if  ghosts  can  walk 
unwearied  for  six  hundred  years),  and  — how  one  would 
love  to  see  them ! For  Kamakura  has  witnessed  some 
of  the  most  stirring  events  in  Japanese  feudal  history, 
and  was  the  very  centre  of  the  power  of  Yoritomo, 
that  strange  man,  indomitable,  ruthless,  astute,  a niedi- 
geval  Napoleon,  who  took  his  country  into  his  own 
hands,  and  made  his  history  hers  while  he  lived. 

In  the  struggle  of  two  great  families  for  the  mili- 
tary power,  the  Taira  (or  Hei)  had  overcome  the  Min- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAIS" 


3G5 


OUT  Foil  A AV'ALK 

amoto  (or  Gen).^  Both  the  families  had  originally 
been  called  into  service  by  the  Fujiwara  Regents,  to 
do  their  fighting  for  them,  when  they  themselves  had 
become  too  effeminate  to  attend  in  person  to  military 
matters.  It  was  thus  that  the  immensely  powerful 
military  class  came  into  existence ; as  soon  as  its 
strength  was,  so  to  speak,  full-grown,  its  members 
turned  on  each  other,  and  on  the  Shoguns,  Avho  had 
been  the  cause  of  their  greatness.  In  the  year  1159  of 
our  era,  the  Taira,  headed  by  Kiyomori,  took  possession 

^ The  monosyllables  are  merely  the  Japanese  pronunciations  of  the 
Chinese  characters  in  which  the  names  are  written,  and  which  are  the 
nearest  equivalents  to  the  true  Japanese  names  Taira  and  Minamoto. 


366 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


of  the  Imperial  Palace  in  Kyoto  (the  reigning  Emperor 
was  Nijo,  a boy  of  sixteen),  and  overcame  all  their 
enemies,  notably  the  Fnjiwara,  and  the  rival  military 
clan  of  the  Minamoto,  led  at  that  time  by  Yoshitomo, 
who  fled  after  his  defeat,  and  was  assassinated  by  the 
orders  of  his  conqueror,  Kiyomori:  \Ylien  Kiyoniori 

was  dying,  long  years  afterwards,  he  said  to  his  heir, 
who  stood  by  his  bed : I have  but  one  regret : it  is 

not  that  I must  leave  life  and  power,  for  these  I have 
had  in  their  fulness.  I have  served  greatly  and  ruled 
widely ; but  it  is  bitter  to  die  without  seeing  the  head 
of  ^ Minamoto  no  Yoritomo  ’ [Yoritomo  of  the  Mina- 
moto]. After  I am  dead,  say  no  prayers  for  me,  but 
hang  up  the  head  of  Yoritomo  before  my  tomb.” 

Yoritomo,  the  son  of  Yoshitomo,  was  thirty-five 
years  old  when  Kiyomori  died.  At  the  time  of  his 
father’s  defeat  and  death,  though  only  thirteen,  he  was 
called  the  demon  warrior;  but  if  he  was  brave  in  battle, 
he  was  none  the  less  quick  to  catch  at  any  chance  of 
saving  his  life,  and  both  his  courage  and  intelligence 
served  him  in  good  stead.  From  childhood  he  seems 
to  have  had  that  strongly  magnetic  personality  which 
always  made  people  anxious  to  serve  and  please  him. 

After  the  contest  at  Kyoto,  he  got  separated  from 
his  father  and  brother,  and  lost  his  way,  wandering 
alone  through  the  night  in  very  evil  plight.  His  noble 
appearance  attracted  the  attention  of  a poor  fisherman, 
who  disguised  him  as  a girl,  wrapped  up  his  sword, 
the  ^^beard-cutter,”  in  matting,  and  brought  him  to  the 
house  of  a lady  called  Yenjiu,  who  had  been  greatly 


LETTERS  ERO:\r  JAPAN 


3G7 


loved  by  Yoshitomo,  to  whom  she  had  borne  a dangliter, 
called  Yasha  Gozen,  now  twelve  years  old.  Yoritomo 
would  not  stay  with  her,  however;  but  left  her  his 
sword  to  take  care  of,  and  started  out  alone  to  try  and 
pass  into  the  Kuanto,  the  eastern  territory,  consisting 
of  eight  provinces,  still  wild  and  independent,  and  the 
home  of  thousands 
of  outlaws.  He 
doubtless  expected 
to  fall  in  with  his 
father  and  some 
of  their  adherents, 
but  was  recognised 
on  the  road  by 
Munekiyo,  a Taira 
lord,  and  taken 
prisoner.  When  he 
was  led  back  past 
Yenjiu’s  house,  his 
little  half-sister 
saw  him,  and  burst 

. , , 1 . A LONELY  PINE  TREE 

into  tears,  exclaim- 
ing, I can  hope  for  nothing  but  disgrace  hereafter ; 
let  me  die  with  my  brother!  ” She  was  prevented  from 
following  him,  but  found  means  to  commit  suicide  by 
drowning  herself. 

Yoritomo  was  brought  to  Kyoto,  and  a day  was 
fixed  for  his  execution ; but  the  Taira  lord  who  had 
captured  him  seems  to  have  felt  pity  for  the  boy,  for 
he  asked  him  whether  he  wished  to  live.  Yoritomo’s 


368 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


answer  shows  his  astuteness  even  at  that  age.  Yes,” 
he  said ; if  I die,  who  can  pray  for  the  souls  of  iny 
father  and  brother?”  thus  suggesting  the  possibility  of 
retiring  to  a monastery.  The  Taira  lord  then  begged 
Kiyomori’s  step-mother  to  intercede  for  the  boy,  because 
he  resembled  a son  whom  she  had  lost  in  early  youth. 
Her  heart  went  out  to  Yoritomo;  and  she  persuaded 
Kiyomori  to  spare  his  life,  and  only  banish  him  to  a 
distant  province.  When  he  was  on  his  way  there,  all 
the  people  who  met  him  said,  noting  his  noble  and 
resolute  countenance,  that  to  spare  his  life  was  like 
letting  a tiger  loose  in  the  fields.  Kiyomori  lived  to 
repent  his  clemency  even  in  his  dying  moments,  when 
he  seems  to  have  foreseen  that  Yoritomo  would  take 
to  himself  the  power  and  place  enjoyed  by  the  Taira 
family. 

The  boy  refused  to  shave  his  head  and  become  a 
monk,  as  all  his  retainers  but  one  entreated  him  to  do, 
thinking  that  thus  his  enemies  would  no  longer  dread 
him.  He  waited  patiently,  living  in  the  family  of  one 
of  the  two  chiefs  of  Idzu,  to  whose  custody  he  had 
been  confided.  Most  of  his  father’s  retainers  revolted, 
and  abandoned  him ; none  dared  to  communicate  with 
him  in  any  way.  He  lived  a double  life,  inwardly  full 
of  hopes  and  ambitions  of  which  he  never  spoke,  and 
outwardly  peaceful  and  resigned ; so  that  he  was  de- 
scribed as  never  showing  any  emotion  in  his  counte- 
nance ; of  a quiet,  hardy,  and  enduring  nature,  respected 
and  beloved  by  all.”  A violent  love  affair  with  the 
daughter  of  his  guardian  does  not  affect  this  estimate 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


369 


of  him  in  Japanese  eyes ; but  it  made  it  necessary  for 
him  to  leave  the  house,  since  he  was  discovered  and 
betrayed  by  the  girl’s  step-mother,  and  her  father 
threatened  to  take  his  life. 

He  fled  to  the  house  of  his  other  guardian,  Hojo 
Tokimasa.  Here,  too,  there  were  daughters ; but  they 
were  jealously  secluded,  and  Yoritomo  could  not  even 
catch  sight  of  them.  So  he  asked  many  questions  of  one 
and  another,  and  learnt  that  the  elder,  Masako,  was  a 
very  beautiful  girl ; the  younger,  not  fair,  but  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  second  wife.  He  determined  to  have  the 
mother  on  his  side  this  time,  and  sent  his  faithful  ser- 
vant Morinaga  to  the  younger  sister  with  a love  letter. 
Morinaga  was  surprised  at  his  master’s  choice,  and  after 
much  consideration  decided  to  put  the  matter  straight ; 
so  he  destroyed  Yoritomo’s  letter,  and  wrote  another  in 
its  place  addressed  to  Masako,  the  beautiful  elder  sister. 

The  night  before  he  did  this  the  younger  girl  had  had 
a wonderful  dream,  the  dream  of  a pigeon  flying  towards 
her  with  a golden  basket  in  its  beak.  When  she  told  her 
sister  of  the  dream,  Masako’s  heart  was  wrung  with  envy; 
and  she  said,  Honourable  younger  sister,  let  me  buy  thy 
dream  of  thee  ! Thy  dream  and  all  that  it  foretells  shall 
be  mine,  and  thou  shalt  have  instead  my  mirror  for  which 
thou  hast  so  often  longed ! ” Now  the  mirror  was  ex- 
ceedingly rich  and  beautiful,  and  the  younger  girl  had 
often  wished  to  have  it.  As  Masako  held  it  out  towards 
her,  and  she  saw  how  clearly  it  reflected  all  things,  she 
thought,  The  dream  may  be  a delusion,  but  the  mirror 
is  real  ” ; so  she  said  to  her  sister,  Take  my  dream, 

2 B 


VOL.  I 


370 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Masako,  and  give  me  thy  mirror  that  I have  longed  for.” 
And  Masako  gave  her  the  mirror  gladly,  being  a devout 
and  pious  maiden,  who  did  not  scoff  at  the  invisible  gifts 
of  the  gods.  And  the  next  day  Yoritomo’s  messenger 
came,  with  the  forged  love  letter.  Yoritomo  was  glad 
when  he  found  that,  after  all,  Morinaga  had  taken  it  to 
the  beautiful  Masako,  and  he  had  cause  all  his  life  to  be 
thankful  for  the  fraud  practised  on  him.  Masako  was 
not  only  fair,  but  wise,  courageous,  and  devoted,  and 
helped  him  greatly  in  his  after-career. 

The  lovers  kept  their  affection  secret  at  first;  and 
Masako’s  father,  who  was  away  at  Kyoto,  meanwhile 
promised  her  to  another  man,  the  Governor  of  Idzu. 
When  he  came  home  and  found  how  matters  stood,  great 
was  his  perplexity ; but  he  insisted  on  keeping  his  word 
to  the  Governor.  And  Masako  kept  hers  to  Yoritomo, 
for  the  very  day  her  father  married  her  to  the  Idzu  man 
she  rode  away  with  her  own  true  love,  and  never  left  him 
more.  Every  one  seemed  to  feel  that  honour  was  satis- 
fied ; and  Ho  jo  Tokimasa  espoused  Yoritomo’s  cause,  and, 
as  I think  I said  before,  did  much  to  restore  that  hero  to 
his  rights,  and  to  those  of  many  people,  which  he  made 
his  at  last. 

In  1180  Prince  Moshihito,  the  second  son  of  the 
Emperor  Go  Shirakawa,  who  was  then  living  in  retire- 
ment, took  up  the  cause  of  the  Genji  or  Minamoto  clan, 
and  sent  messengers  to  Yoritomo,  requesting  him  as  head 
of  the  family  to  collect  men  and  lead  an  expedition 
against  Kiyomori  and  his  Taira  adherents.  Yoritomo, 
assisted  by  his  father-in-law  Tokimasa,  collected  an  army. 


THE  NIGHT  BEFORE  A BATTLE 


4 

1 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


373 


and  after  one  or  two  checks,  met  with  his  usual  calmness 
and  courage,  was  joined  by  many  chiefs  of  rank,  and  took 
possession  of  Kamakura,  which  he  established  as  the  seat 
of  a military  government.  Soon  after  this  Kiyomori  died, 
having  lived  just  long  enough  to  see  Yoritomo,  the  son  of 
his  old  enemy,  rise  to  the  height  of  power  and  splendour. 

It  is  rather  sad  to  read  of  how  Yoritomo  rewarded 
those  who  had  helped  to  win  his  battles  for  him.  His 
younger  brother,  Yoshitsune,  who  had  fought  valiantly 
for  him,  was  sacrificed  to  Yoritomo’s  jealousy  of  any 
power  but  his  own,  and  was  forced  to  commit  suicide, 
after  killing  his  own  wife  and  children  to  prevent  their 
falling  into  Yoritomo’s  hands.  But  this  did  not  shake 
the  power  of  the  elder  brother,  who  little  by  little  estab- 
lished a far-reaching  system  of  government  and  taxation, 
and  placed  his  relations  in  high  and  lucrative  posts. 
Kamakura  was  the  heart  of  the  country  in  those  days, 
and  its  pulse  was  felt  in  the  most  distant  provinces. 
Yoritomo  became  Shogun  in  1192,  and  died  from  the 
effects  of  a fall  from  his  horse  in  1199.  His  two  sons 
who  succeeded  him  were  both  murdered,  and  little  by 
little  the  Hojo  family  whence  he  had  taken  his  wife 
absorbed  all  power  into  their  own  hands  as  Regents  [Sink- 
ken  — Holders  of  Power)  of  the  Shoguns.  The  extraor- 
dinary complication  of  Japanese  feudal  history,  with  its 
two  or  three  contemporary  retired  Emperors  (some  of 
them  were  children  still),  its  shadow  ” Shoguns  (chil- 
dren, too,  as  often  as  not,  and,  if  they  were  lucky,  deposed 
before  they  were  murdered),  and  its  Regents  of  Shoguns 
who  themselves  fell  under  the  power  of  ambitious  guar- 


374 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


dians  — all  this  makes  a bewildering  army  of  names  and 
dates  impossible  to  place  clearly  in  one’s  mind.  Bat  here 
and  there  a great  figure  stands  out ; strange  heroic  stories 
group  themselves  around  it;  the  splendid  ghosts  take 
their  places  in  triumphal  processions;  and  old  Japan  is 
suddenly  before  us,  with  all  its  pomp  and  chivalry,  its  hot 
heroism  and  cold  cruelty,  its  love  of  life  and  gay  contempt 
of  death. 

Death  has  conquered  at  Kamakura.  Yoritomo’s  gor- 
geous capital  was  burnt,  and  only  its  ashes  remain  to 
mingle  with  the  dust  and  sand  of  the  plain.  Tidal  waves 
have  helped  in  the  ruin ; and  now  the  sea  rolls  in,  empty 
of  ships,  to  the  deserted  shores,  and  the  pines  along  the 
broken  avenues  seem  to  be  dying  willingly,  for  branch 
after  branch  drops  with  a crash  in  the  wind  that  is  sweep- 
ing the  dunes  to-day  as  if  seeking  for  something  still  left 
to  destroy. 

But  I was  wrong  in  saying  that  no  trace  of  the  old 
glory  remains.  There  is  one  which  fire  and  storm  and 
tidal  wave  have  torn  at  in  vain : shorn  of  its  old  sur- 
roundings, bared  of  its  temple  roof,  the  great  Buddha  still 
meets  the  moving  seasons  with  a front  of  eternal  calm. 

It  was  a mild  May  night,  and  the  moon  rose  round 
over  the  heaving  sea.  The  wind  had  fallen,  the  sighing 
pine  trees  were  at  rest,  though  one  stretched  out  an  arm 
here  and  there  as  in  sleep,  throwing  a twisted  shadow 
across  the  road  where  our  footsteps  fell  muffled  in  the 
sand  of  many  storms.  We  passed  in  silence  by  the  empty 
fields,  the  darkened  huts,  and  up  the  village  street, 
touched  to  a square  of  soft  dull  gold  where  here  and 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


375 


there  a light  still  burned  behind  the  shoji  for  birth  or 
death  or  mifinislied  toil,  tlie  three  strings  of  our  life’s 
lyre.  Then  the  village  was  left  behind,  we  turned  in 
at  an  embowered  gate,  and  before  us,  in  a wide  temple, 
roofed  only  by  the 
sky,  lighted  only 
by  moon  and  stars, 
rose  the  great  Bud- 
dha, the  monument 
of  peace. 

Peace ! In  the 
hush  of  that  flood 
of  moonlight,  the 
very  mantle  of  peace  seemed  hanging  round  him  in  the 
silver  air.  All  daylight  reds  and  greens  were  washed 
to  one  luminous  grey  in  that  transforming  haze ; all 
sounds  consoled,  fulfilled,  harmonised  in  that  vibrating 
silence. 

^^Venit  pax  in  die  una,  quae  nota  est  Domino;  et 
erit  non  dies  neque  nox,  sed  lux  perpetua,  claritas 
infinita,  pax  firma,  et  requies  secura.” 

The  monk  who  wrote  the  words  knew  the  well-springs 
from  which  such  peace  may  flow  to  the  humble  in  heart. 
The  artist  who  moulded  the  calm  face  of  Buddha  must 
have  been  his  brother  in  this  land  of  the  sun-rising, 
having  attained  to  that  wide  spiritual  enlightenment 
which  is  the  reward  of  all  who,  under  whatever  skies, 
of  whatever  race,  have  done  the  best,  the  highest,  the 
purest  that  they  could  see  to  do.  And  there  are  few 
higher,  more  perfect  works  of  art  in  the  world  than 


BUDDHA 


376 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


this  representation  of  Amida  Buddha,  the  incarnation 
of  a humanity  which,  after  long  struggles  to  break  free 
from  earth,  is  enthroned  in  irrevocable  peace,  but  is  not 
deaf  to  the  cries  of  those  who  are  still  stumbling  along 
the  thorny  road  he  too  has  known.  The  countenance, 
full  of  inscrutable  majesty,  seems  only  still  by  the  soul’s 
command ; behind  the  deep  eyes  and  the  quiet  mouth 
lies  a smile  gentle  and  calm,  as  if  rising  from  the  very 
heart  of  knowledge.  Having  attained,”  is  what  the 
beautiful  lips  w^ould  say,  were  speech  needful.  On 
the  brow  a silver  boss  draws  the  moon-rays  to  itself ; the 
breast  is  bare  to  the  kiss  of  the  wind,  the  feet  and  hands 
folded  in  profound  repose.  All  around,  at  regular  inter- 
vals in  the  pavement,  stand  the  old  stone  bases  of  wooden 
pillars,  long  ago  swept  away  with  the  splendid  roof  that 
rested  on  them,  with  the  gates  and  steps  and  altars  that 
once  surrounded  the  image  and  helped  to  make  this 
temple  one  of  the  wonders  of  Japan. 

Yoritorno  before  his  death  was  inspired  by  a desire 
to  have  in  his  own  city  a great  Buddha  like  the  one  at 
Nara ; but  he  died  before  he  could  carry  out  his  idea. 
Some  lady  in  the  Court,  for  love  of  him,  collected  money 
to  have  such  an  image  made,  and  in  time  it  was  com- 
pleted, cast  in  bronze,  and  set  up  here  to  replace  a 
wooden  one  which  had  stood  for  a few  years  and  had 
been  destroyed  by  fire.  No  fire  or  water  could  injure 
the  fifty  feet  of  towering  bronze  of  the  new  Buddha ; 
but  the  sea  seemed  jealous  of  its  greatness,  and  broke 
over  it  twice,  in  1369  and  1494.  This  last  tidal  wave 
carried  away  everything,  except  what  we  see  to-day. 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


377 


The  temple  was  never  rebuilt,  and  for  four  hundred 
years  the  sun  has  shone  and  the  rain  has  wet  the 
image,  which  stands  like  a symbol  of  the  soul,  outliving 
all  the  trappings  of  this  earthly  life. 

No  farther  than  the  home  of  Amida  Buddha  did  we 
go  on  that  night  of  our  moonlight  pilgrimage ; but  there 
is  another  temple  near,  to  be  seen  by  daylight  — the 
shrine  of  the  goddess  of  mercy,  Kwannon,  everywhere 
loved  and  worshipped  in  Japan.  I knew  her  in  China 
as  Kwan-yin,  and  possessed  once  a most  beautiful  figure 
of  her  in  soft  white  jpate^  a lovely  mother-woman  stand- 
ing with  a babe  nestling  in  her  arms,  a mandorla  of 
blown  flame  enshrining  them  both.  Here,  in  her  temple 
on  the  hill  behind  Daibutsu,  she  holds  no  child  in  her 
arms,  but  stands,  a great  golden  image  in  the  darkness 
of  a jealously  secluded  shrine,  with  hand  raised  as  if 
to  bless,  and  a smile  of  love  and  tenderness  on  her  face. 
It  is  as  if  the  other  gods  had  thought  her  too  lavish, 
too  spendthrift  of  her  favours,  and  had  enclosed  her 
here,  and  set  a guardian  to  keep  the  gate  and  to  count 
those  who  go  and  come,  for  fear  that  all  mankind  should 
enter  into  paradise  through  her  intercession  ; for  Kwan- 
non has  a great  and  faithful  love  for  the  human  race, 
and,  having  already  attained  to  Nirvana,  put  eternal 
joys  aside,  and  returned  of  her  own  free  will  to  this 
world  to  save  and  comfort  men  and  women.  Sometimes 
she  is  represented  as  having  numberless  arms,  each  of 
which  reaches  out  some  good  thing,  some  desired  grace ; 
she  never  refuses  a supplication,  except  when  invoked 
a second  time  under  one  especial  title,  Hito  Koto 


378 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAX 


Kwannon  ” (the  Kwannon  of  a Single  Grace),  for  it  is 
not  lawful  to  pray  to  her  twice  by  that  name,  although 
the  first  use  of  it  compels  her  compliance.  She  is  the 
mother  to  whom  all  mothers  pray  in  the  land,  she  sends 
children,  and  she  protects  children ; and  Jizo  Sama,  the 
god  who  tends  the  children’s  ghosts,  does  so  at  her 
command.  Even  the  animals  she  loves,  and  there  are 
shrines  where  the  peasants  bring  their  horses  and  bul- 
locks to  receive  her  blessing,  and  perhaps  get  the  promise 
of  a higher  reincarnation  when  they  return  to  this  weary 
world.  Such  is  the  Buddhist  picture  of  Kwannon,  the 
faithful,  loving,  powerful  mother,  the  type  of  all 
womanly  grace  and  holiness.  Except  by  divine  revela- 
tion, could  the  heart  conceive  a more  perfect  ideal  ? 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  BEACH  AT  KAMAKURA. — LITTLE  SHELL-GATHERERS. — 
HAULING  IN  THE  NETS. — THE  FISHERMEN’S  PENSIONERS. 
^ — THE  SWORD  OF  NITTA. — THE  TEMPLE  OF  HACHIMAN. 
— SANETOMO  AND  YORIIYE. — THE  DEATH  OF  SANETOMO 


S one  looks  out  from  the  verandah  of  the  Kai- 


hin-in,  the  one  hotel  of  Kamakura,  the  sea  only 
shows  itself  as  a blue  or  grey  line  made  narrow  by 
high  sand-dunes,  and  half  hidden  by  a pine  wood  which 
grows  in  the  hollow  behind  the  protecting  crest.  This 
wood  is  just  now  carpeted  with  thin  green  grass,  push- 
ing up  its  way  through  the  pine  needles.  A few  hardy 
wild  flowers  swing  on  the  wind,  and  here  and  there  the 
tree  roots  make  inviting  seats,  where  one  can  rest  awhile 
and  listen  to  the  cool  sibilant  talk  of  the  branches  in 
the  breeze  overhead.  A scrambling  path  leads  across 
the  dunes  to  the  wet  firm  sands,  marked  with  long 
rosaries  of  little  footprints,  undulating  as  the  ripples 
which  break  lazily  a few  yards  farther  on.  Numbers 
of  children  come  here  at  low  tide  to  gather  the  delicate 
shells,  which  they  sell  to  the  shell-workers  of  Enoshima, 
the  island  which  lies  behind  the  promontory  to  the 
right. 


Kamakura,  May,  1890. 


379 


380 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


The  children  are  laughing,  communicative  little 
people,  who  walk  up  and  down  beside  me  when  they 
catch  me  on  the  sands,  and  evidently  take  me  for  a 
shell-gatherer  too ; for  they  insist  on  my  buying  their 
little  basketfuls  of  shells  (generally  for  a sum  too  small 
to  be  translated  into  English),  and  then  they  run  away 
to  their  homes  among  the  fishermen’s  huts,  delighted  at 
having  earned  their  money  without  taking  the  long 
walk  to  Enoshima  in  the  burning  heat.  I can  only 
understand  a few  of  the  things  they  say,  just  enough 
to  make  out  how  many  brothers  and  sisters  have  been 
left  at  home,  or  the  age  of  the  baby  on  the  little  shell- 
gatherer’s  back ; but  my  stupidity  seems  not  to  diminish 
the  pleasure  that  one  at  least  of  them  takes  in  my 
society.  She  is  a bright-eyed  little  creature  of  ten  or 
thereabouts,  with  a very  solid  baby  on  her  back,  to 
whom  she  pays  less  attention  than  I do  to  my  parasol. 
She  jumps  about,  slides  down  sand-hills,  hops  on  one 
foot,  plays  little  games  of  chuck-farthing  ” with  five 
pebbles  in  a circle  of  friends  and  contemporaries,  all 
without  the  faintest  reference  to  the  solemn  baby,  who, 
safely  tied  to  her  back  with  strips  of  blue  linen,  falls 
asleep  and  wakes  up  again,  cries  or  laughs,  sucks  a 
sugar-cane  if  he  is  happy,  and  bangs  his  nurse’s  head 
with  it  if  he  is  cross,  all  without  influencing  her  any 
more  than  we  can  change  the  weather  by  grumbling 
at  it. 

The  children  gather  in  numbers  to  see  the  nets 
hauled  in,  and  it  is  a sight  I seldom  miss  if  I can  help 
it.  When  the  sun  is  getting  low  and  throwing  red 


ON  THE  SHORE 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


383 


reflections  along  the  water  and  the  sands ; when  the 
trees  on  the  promontory  towards  Enoshima  are  visibly 
falling  asleep  in  a haze  through  which  they  look  almost 
black,  — then  a light  boat  rows  to  shore,  leaving  a 
larger  one  some  way  out  from  land,  and  moving  slowly 
from  point  to  point,  where  dark  objects  like  human 
heads  are  bobbing  up  and  down  on  the  water.  They 
are  not  heads,  but  lumps  of  tarred  cork,  to  which  the 
upper  edge  of  the  huge  net  is  fastened.  Below,  it  hangs 
with  weights  attached,  in  many  a turn  and  snare  in 
the  water;  and  now  the  time  has  come  to  draw  it  in 
and  count  the  take.  All  the  men  but  two  have  come 
ashore  in  the  smaller  boat,  and  form  a line  pointing 
inland,  each  man  holding  the  rope  with  both  hands; 
the  bare  limbs  are  firmly  planted  on  the  sand,  and  all 
the  brown  bodies  gleam  like  bronze  in  the  sunset. 
Then  at  a word  of  command  from  the  first  on  the  line 
a measured  chant  breaks  out,  and  a long  swinging 
pull  brings  the  rope  some  yards  farther  up  the  shore. 
Passing  it  quickly  from  hand  to  hand,  the  men  run 
down  again  to  the  water’s  edge,  never  changing  their 
relative  positions,  and  again  the  toil-song  sounds  along 
the  beach,  as  more  of  the  heavy  length  is  retrieved  from 
the  sea.  The  net  is  sunk  so  far  out  that  often  the 
men  must  work  three-quarters  of  an  hour  before  its 
real  mouth  is  brought  to  shore ; and  meanwhile  their 
comrades  in  the  fishing-boat  row  from  point  to  point 
where  it  shows  above  the  water,  pushing  it  gently 
towards  the  land.  When  at  last  its  black  drifts  are 
creeping  up  the  rippled  shallows  close  in  shore,  the 


384 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


rope-draggers  leave  the  piled  cable,  and,  wading  into 
the  water,  seize  the  web  in  armfuls  and  bring  it  farther 
in,  to  separate  mesh  from  mesh  with  extreme  care, 
and  to  catch  the  leaping  fish,  who  flash  their  live  silver 
from  side  to  side  with  a curious  rattle  and  snap  against 
the  cords  of  their  wet  prison.  It  is  a beautiful  sight 
as  the  brown  men,  their  loins  girded  with  twisted  blue 
cotton,  stand  in  the  water,  stretching  out  the  lengths 
of  the  net  full  of  dancing  silver  fish,  behind  them 
the  sunset  sea,  and  before,  the  dusky  velvet  sands. 
This  is  the  time  when  the  children  glean  their  harvest ; 
and  not  the  children  only,  but  poor  widows,  who  have 
no  man  to  send  a-fishing,  and  very  old  people,  whose 
sons  are  dead,  all  gather  round  the  fishermen,  holding 
out  little  bowls  and  baskets  for  what  they  will  give ; 
and  all  that  is  fit  for  food  and  yet  not  good  enough 
for  the  market  goes  to  them.  When  the  catch  has 
been  a good  one,  the  suppliants  go  off  with  their  beg- 
ging-bowls full ; when,  as  sometimes  happens,  nothing 
has  been  taken,  then  there  is  no  supper  for  anybody, 
the  fishermen’s  pensioners  separate  sadly,  and  the  men 
themselves,  without  a word  of  complaint,  pile  the  net 
on  the  boats  and  row  out  to  sea  to  drop  it  all  into  place 
ag;ain.  Once  I saw  them  draw  it  in  long  after  dark, 
and  lanterns  had  to  be  lighted  to  sort  the  fish,  while 
the  children  and  old  people,  waiting  eagerly,  kept  peer- 
ing forward  into  the  ring  of  light.  It  is  good  to  see 
that  there  is  never  a rough  word  said  to  the  beggars, 
who,  though  as  poor  as  the  grey  grasses  on  the  dunes, 
do  not  look  despairing  or  dirty  or  unliappy.  The  thanks 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


385 


are  simply  and  duly  said,  be  the  gift  great  or  trifling; 
and  there  is  no  grumbling  or  wailing  if  it  is  withheld. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  fourteenth  century  the  Hojo 
Regents  {Shik-ken)  took  the  entire  control  of  both 
Shoguns  and  Emperors,  after  the  short-lived  dynasty 
of  the  Minamoto  Shoguns  came  to  an  end  with  the 
murder  of  Yoritomo’s  second  son.  Several  generations 
later,  by  some  oversight  of  the  Hojo,  an  Emperor  thirty 
years  old,  and  having  some  sparks  of  independence  in 
him,  was  allowed  to  come  to  the  throne.  He  chafed 
secretly  at  his  wretched  position,  and  took  advantage 
of  a famine  which  wasted  the  land  to  excite  his  few 
partisans  to  rise  against  the  reigning  family,  already 
greatly  hated  on  account  of  its  avarice  and  cruelty. 
A noble  who  immediately  espoused  his  cause  was 
Nitta  Yoshisada.  A powerful  and  resolute  man,  he 
succeeded  in  raising  a large  army  in  a very  few  days, 
and  came  to  attack  Kamakura,  Yoritomo’s  city,  then 
the  seat  of  the  Hojo  power. 

But  Kamakura,  lying  safe  in  its  bay,  with  rocky 
spurs  easily  fortified  running  down  to  the  sea  on  either 
hand,  was  a place  hard  to  take.  Nitta  found  the  small 
stretch  of  beach  under  the  sheltering  promontory  bris- 
tling with  improvised  fortifications;  beyond  it,  a huge 
fleet  of  war-ships  stretched  out  in  long  lines,  barring 
the  approach  by  sea.  As  he  gazed  down  from  the  cliff, 
he  saw  that  only  supernatural  help  could  enable  him 
to  take  the  great  city  which  stretched  out  at  his  feet, 
filling  the  plain  and  the  lower  valleys  as  rice  fills  a bowl. 
So  Nitta  prayed  very  earnestly  to  the  gods  of  the  sea, 

2 c 


VOL. 


386 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  then,  in  sacrifice  to  them,  and  also  to  show  his 
army  that  not  his  own  prowess  but  the  grace  of  Heaven 
must  win  this  battle,  he  threw  his  sword  from  the  cliff 
far  out  to  sea. 

Then  he  came  down,  saying  to  himself,  To- 
morrow Kamakura  will  be  given  into  my 
hands  ” ; and  he  went  into  his  tent  in  the 


NITTA  THROWING  HIS  SWORD  INTO  THE  SEA 

camp  on  the  beach,  and  lay  down  and  slept.  And 
early  the  next  morning,  when  the  sun  rose  over  the  sea 
and  Enoshima,  a great  cry  of  joy  was  heard  in  Nitta 
Yoshisada’s  army,  and  the  general  rose  and  shook  him- 
self, and  went  and  stood  in  the  door  of  his  tent.  And 
before  him  was  one  great  stretch  of  shining  sand,  a mile 


LETTEKS  EROM  JAP.VX 


387 


and  a half  wide,  reaching  from  where  he  stood  right 
into  the  forefront  of  Kamakura  cityj  far  away  the  use- 
less war-junks  floated  on  the  water ; from  the  defences 
under  the  promontory  near  at  hand  not  even  an  arrow 
hurt  his  troops,  as  they  made  a wide  circle  round  by  the 
sand  and  marched  straight  into  the  heart  of  Kamakura.^ 
Then  came  a battle,  fierce  and  bloody,  for  the  Hojos  were 
gallant  fighters  and  their  retainers  strong  and  trusty ; 
but  they  were  vanquished.  Many  of  them  perished  by 
the  happy  despatch  ” rather  than  fall  into  their  enemy’s 
hands,  and  most  of  the  gay  young  city  was  burnt. 

As  one  stands  under  the  pine  trees  of  the  Kaihin-in 
Hotel  at  Kamakura,  the  famous  promontory  lies  on  the 
right  hand,  hiding  the  strange  island  of  Enoshima.  A 
mile  or  so  to  the  left,  somewhat  inland,  runs  an  old 
road,  where  the  grass  pushes  up  between  the  grey  un- 
even paving-stones,  and  hangs  undisturbed  from  low 
stone  walls  on  either  side.  Here  and  there  tall  pines, 
battered  and  crippled  now,  show  that  a stately  avenue 
once  led  to  the  temple  at  whose  lowest  step  the  road 
ends,  the  Temple  of  Hachiman,  the  god  of  war.  The 
steps  are  grey,  and  worn  with  many  feet,  and  very  long 
and  wide  and  steep.  A gallant  tree,  as  old  as  they, 
springs  from  a deep  court  beside  them,  and  towers  far 
above,  its  enormous  body  seeming  to  almost  push  them 
aside,  while  overhead  the  branches  spread  out  in  thick 
clouds  of  leafage,  brilliant  green,  polished,  odorous;  and 

1 The  Japanese  of  to-day  explain  the  stoiy  by  saying  that  Nitta  took 
advantage  of  his  knowledge  of  the  tides  to  work  on  the  credulity  of  his 
followei's. 


388 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


this  is  the  thousand-year-old  camphor  tree  of  Hachiman, 
the  rival  of  the  one  I loved  in  Atami’s  temple  grove, 
less  great  in  girth,  but  marked  somewhere  in  its  ringed 
strength  with  very  noble  blood,  the  blood  of  Sanetomo, 
the  youngest  son  of  Yoritomo,  and  the  last  of  the 
Minamotos. 

The  tree  was  younger,  but  not  less  green,  when 
Yoritomo  used  to  come  to  sit  in  its  shade,  and  look 
out  over  his  fair  strong  city  of  Kamakura.  He  loved 
this  spot,  and  often  climbed  still  higher  to  the  slope 
of  Shira-hata  Yama,  just  behind  the  Temple,  whence 
he  could  see  his  war-junks  rolling  in  the  bay,  and  count 
the  white  standards  of  the  guards  round  his  palace 
wall  in  the  town.  It  is  said  that  Yoritomo  foresaw 
the  weakening  quarrels  which  would  undermine  the 
Minamoto  power  after  his  death ; and  it  may  be  that 
he  wondered,  as  he  looked  down  from  this  green  hill, 
how  long  his  name  would  be  supreme  in  Kamakura 
after  he  himself  should  have  passed  to  the  farther 
shore.”  His  own  strength  and  wisdom  kept  the  king- 
dom in  peace,  and  great  prosperity  everywhere  followed 
on  his  administration ; but  when  he  looked  at  his  two 
sons,  he  must  have  remembered  that  he  had  calmly 
sacrificed  his  brother  to  his  ambition;  and  — Yoriiye 
and  Sanetomo  were  not  so  strong  or  so  wise  as  their 
father.  The  elder,  Yoriiye,  was  only  eighteen  w^hen 
Yoritomo  had  the  fall  from  his  horse  which  brought  on 
his  last  illness ; and  when  the  hero  died,  this  boy,  his  suc- 
cessor, was  far  more  occupied  with  feasts  and  shows  and 
dancing-girls  than  with  the  government  of  the  country. 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  HACHIMAN,  AT  KAMAKURA 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


391 


His  mother,  Masako  of  the  inirror,  a woman  who 
had  the  strongest  influence  on  the  history  of  her  time, 
swore  to  herself  that  no  weakling  should  succeed  the 
great  man  who  had  been  her  husband.  Though  nomi- 
nally a nun  after  the  death  of  Yoritomo,  she  directed 
the  family  councils  with  a strong  hand,  and  insisted 
that  Yoriiye  should  not  be  left  at  liberty  to  bring 
ruin  on  the  Minamotos.  AVitli  her  father,  Hojo  Toki- 
masa,  and  other  powerful  partisans,  she  attempted 
to  force  Yoriiye  to  resign,  and  to  divide  the  kingdom 
between  his  younger  brother,  Sanetomo,  and  his  own 
youngest  son,  an  infant  of  days.  Yoriiye  very  natu- 
rally refused ; and  in  the  contest  which  ensued  he 
was  overcome,  banished,  and  put  to  death.  His  son, 
poor  baby,  was  killed  by  its  grandfather,  Hojo  Toki- 
masa ; and  so  was  Yoriiye’s  father-in-law,  who  had 
upheld  him  in  his  resistance  to  the  family  decrees. 
Masako  triumphed  once  more;  her  favourite  child  Sane- 
tomo became  Shogun  at  the  age  of  twelve ; and  the 
power  seemed  likely  to  remain  in  her  hands  and  those 
of  her  father  Tokimasa  for  many  years  to  come.  But 
at  last,  Tokimasa  himself,  a hoary  reprobate  of  sixty- 
eight,  had  to  be  sent  away ; Masako  finding  that  he 
was  plotting  to  oust  Sanetomo  from  the  Shogunate, 
and  put  the  infant  son  of  the  step-sister  (to  whom 
Masako  had  sold  the  mirror)  in  Sanetomo’s  place.  So 
this  valiant  and  unscrupulous  lady  sent  her  father  off 
to  repent  his  sins  in  the  seclusion  of  a monastery,  the 
poor  unconscious  little  usurper  and  his  father  were  mur- 
dered, and  things  seemed  safe  and  quiet  for  a season. 


392 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


But  while  whole  families  were  being  sacrificed  to 
keep  Sanetomo’s  inheritance  safe  for  him,  a far  more 
dangerous  enemy  was  growing  up  almost  at  his  side. 
The  eldest  son  of  his  brother  Yoriiye  was  five  years 
old  when  his  father  was  killed,  and  his  life  was  spared, 
for  no  reason  that  has  ever  been  explained.  Since 
Sanetomo  adopted  him  and  sent  him  to  a monastery 
to  be  brought  up,  it  looks  as  if  the  boy  of  twelve 
must  have  had  some  affection  for  his  little  playmate 
of  five.  At  any  rate,  no  one  seems  to  have  regarded 
young  Kngio  with  any  suspicion,  and  he  grew  up  to 
manhood,  having  kept  his  own  counsel  well.  His  pur- 
pose -grew  strong  in  silence : he  saw  a sacred  duty 

before  him  — the  duty  of  avenging  his  father’s  death. 

They  made  him  the  high-priest  of  the  great  Temple 
of  Hachiman,  where  the  god  of  war  was  worshipped, 
where  Yoritomo’s  helmet  and  sword  were  kept  as  relics, 
where  everything  spoke  of  the  pride  and  strength  of 
the  family  whose  honours  should  have  descended  to 
himself.  Day  by  day,  as  he  walked  on  the  Temple 
terraces  or  passed  under  the  three  holy  gates  which 
still  lead  thence  to  the  outer  world  from  which  Sane- 
tomo had  banished  him,  Kugio  would  swear  deep  and 
strong  by  the  grave  of  his  greatgrandfather,  by  the  head 
of  his  murdered  father,  that  Sanetomo’s  blood  should 
flow,  and  Yoriiye’s  soul  enter  into  peace  — avenged. 

Now  on  a cold  night  in  the  first  days  of  the  year 
1219  (1879  by  Japanese  reckoning).  Prince  Sanetomo, 
who  was  then  twenty-eight  years  old,  and  full  of  the 
love  of  life  and  the  recklessness  of  youth,  called  his 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


393 


people,  and  said,  Now  will  I go  and  worship  at  the 
Temple  of  Hachiman ; even  as  my  ancestors  have 
always  done.”  And  his  old  servant  came  weeping, 
and  said,  My  heart  is  ‘full  of  fear  for  my  Lord,  and 
I am  one  that  have  never  feared  or  wept ! Oh,  my 
Lord,  if  you  will  go  to-night,  let  me  put  on  you  a 
coat  of  mail,  such  as  even  my  Lord  Yoritomo  did  not 
disdain  to  wear  when  he  dedicated  the  Temple  at 
Nara ! ” And  one  of  Sanetomo’s  friends,  young  and 
headstrong  as  he,  said,  ‘^Nay;  great  soldiers  wear  no 
coats  of  mail ! ” Then  the  servant  entreated,  At 
least,  let  my  Lord  go  in  the  day,  and  not  in  the  dark- 
ness and  the  cold  ! ” And  the  same  young  man, 
whose  name  was  Naka-akira,  scoffed,  and  said,  This 
worship  is  always  rendered  at  night.” 

And  Sanetomo  sent  for  his  favourite  servant  Hada 
Kinuji,  and  bade  him  comb  his  hair  before  he  went, 
that  he  might  appear  at  the  shrine  with  all  decorum ; 
and  he  pulled  out  one  hair,  laughing,  and  gave  it  to 
Hada,  saying,  This  is  my  bequest  to  thee ! ” And 
then  he  set  out,  with  a thousand  men  and  great  pomp ; 
but  when  they  reached  the  Temple  gate,  Sanetomo 
bade  all  his  soldiers  and  his  people  wait  outside,  while 
he  passed  in  alone  with  his  friend,  Naka-akira,  both 
filled  with  the  pride  of  life,  and  thinking  no  evil. 
And  he  entered  the  Temple,  and  made  his  devotions 
to  Hachiman,  and  returned,  passing  down  the  steps 
with  his  friend  at  his  side,  talking  of  many  things. 
And  as  they  passed  the  tree  which  is  by  the  steps, 
the  tree  reached  out  death  to  them  both ; for  a great 


394 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


sword  flew  out,  and  a man’s  liand  swung  it  high  once 
and  twice,  and  one  after  another  the  two  proud  young 
heads  rolled  on  the  steps,  and  the  blood  dropped  after 
them  and  made  a little  sound  in  the  darkness.  And 
Kugid  leapt  out  from  the  tree,  and  called  in  a loud 
voice,  Thus  does  the  high-priest  avenge  his  father!” 
Then  he  took  up  Sanetomo’s  head  in  his  hand,  and 
fled  away  through  the  night,  stopping  to  rest  at  the 
house  of  a retainer,  where  he  broke  his  fast,  never 
letting  go  of  that  on  which  his  soul  was  feasting  — 
the  head  of  Sanetomo. 

But  he  was  pursued,  and  dropped  it  at  last,  and 
was  killed  himself,  and  the  head  of  Sanetomo  was 
never  recovered ; so  they  buried  his  body  without  it, 
and  his  power  passed  in  name  to  his  infant  son,  and 
in  reality  remained  in  the  strong  hands  of  Masako 
until  her  death.  But  the  end  of  the  Minamoto  Sho- 
guns came  under  the  great  tree  on  these  steps  of  the 
Temple  of  Hachiman,  where  I sit  to-day,  and  hear 
the  grasses  shiver,  and  the  gulls  cry  out  at  sea ; and 
blind  insects  crawl  dustily  where  the  blood  made  a 
little  sound  in  dripping  from  stone  to  stone.  The 
place  is  lonely  and  empty  as  a rifled  grave. 


TORTOISE 


AN  OUTDOOR  GREETING, 


Frontispiece 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


A KECORD  OF  MODERN  LIFE  IN 
THE  ISLAND  EMPIRE 


BY 


MRS.  HUGH  FRASER 


AUTHOR  OF  “PALLADIA,”  “THE  LOOMS  OF  TIME,”  “a  CHAPTER 
OF  ACCIDENTS,”  ETC. 


WITH  TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Neto  gorfe 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

LONDON;  MACMILLAN  & CO.,  Ltd. 

1904 


All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1899, 

By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up,  electrotyped,  and  published  1899.  New  edition,  in 
March,  1904. 


NortoootJ  IPrfSS 

J.  S.  Cushing  & Co. — Iter  wick  & Sinitii  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


one  volume, 


CONTENTS  TO  VOL.  II 


CHAPTER  XXI 

PAGE 

Enoshima,  the  Island  of  the  Tortoise  — The  Sea-goddess’s  City  — The 
Home  of  the  Shells  — “A  Bath  in  the  Wine  of  Life ” — Kings 
and  Queens  of  the  Deep  — Benten  Sama’s  Temple  — The  Cave 
of  the  Dragon 1 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A Sensational  Journey  — Ikao  and  the  Great  Hills  — Kindly  Showers 
— A Walk  up  the  Gorge  — Buddha  among  the  Teacups  — The 
Colour  of  Ikao  — Pictures  in  the  Village  Street  — Fishing  for 
Goldfish 21 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

From  Ikao  to  Karuizawa  — The  Silk  Harvest  — A Rest  at  lizuka  — 
Climbing  up  the  Pass — A Sea  of  Peaks  — The  Palace  of  Peace 
— Our  own  Policeman 41 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

“In  the  Dawn  of  Time”  — The  Star  Lovers  and  their  Story  — The 

Pitiful  History  of  O Sho  Kung 55 

CHAPTER  XXV 

The  Approach  of  the  Storm  — At  the  Heart  of  the  Typhoon  — A 
Funny  Sight  — The  Usui  Toge  — The  Story  of  a Hero,  and  a 
Heroine  — Yamato’s  Repentance  — “In  the  Sweet  Open  Fields”  73 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

PAGE 

The  Charcoal-burner  loses  his  Way  — “A  Mistake  no  Crime ” — 


Invasion  ! — Pilgrims  and  their  Ways  — Pilgrim  Clubs  — An 
Enterprising  Old  Lady 93 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

The  Autumn  Typhoon  — The  Loss  of  the  Ertogroul — Legends  of 
Fuji  — The  Great  Upheaval  — Chinese  Tradition  and  the  Sacred 
Mountain  — The  Story  of  Jofuku  — The  Lotus  Peak  . . . 108 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

The  Opening  of  the  Diet  — The  Attack  on  the  Russian  Legation  — 

Soshi  at  our  own  Gates  — Prince  Komatsu  and  the  Grand  Cross 
of  the  Bath  — The  Imperial  Chrysanthemums  ....  125 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Xikko  at  last!  — The  Bridge  of  Beauty  and  the  Bridge  of  Use  — In 
the  Temple  Courts  — The  Story  of  lyeyasu  — His  Friend,  Will 
Adams,  the  Rochester  Pilot  — A Piece  of  Imprisoned  Sunshine  — 
Maples  and  Waterfalls  — Chuzenji 148 


CHAPTER  XXX 

Another  Christmas  Tree  — Babies,  European  and  Japanese  — Ideals 
of  Home  and  School  — A Day  at  Meguro  — A Little  Samurai  Girl 
— A Visitation  of  Influenza  — Miyanoshita  as  a Sanatorium  — 
Burning  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament 168 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

A Reading  Society  — Stories  for  the  Japanese  Ladies  — The  Empress’s 
Verses  — The  Exaggeration  of  a Virtue  — Marriage,  Eastern  and 
Western  — Motherhood  and  Fatherhood  — Parental  Ties  — Xew 
Laws  of  Inheritance 188 


CONTENTS 


IX 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

PAGE 

The  Death  of  Prince  Sanjo  — A State  Funeral — A Brave  Daughter 

— Ogita’s  Farewell  — The  Shiba  Temples  — A Feast  of  Beauty  210 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 

In  the  Empress’s  own  Garden  — A White  Sail  set  Square  to  the  Wind 
— The  Boys’  Festival,  its  Origin  and  Meaning  — Hideyoshi  and 
his  Battle  Standard — The  Mongolian  Invasion  ....  231 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 

The  Attack  on  the  Cesarevitch  — Loyal  Women  — Tsuda  Sanzo  and 
his  Life  History  — A Nation  in  Mourning  — Courageous  Judges 
— A Samurai  Maiden 253 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

The  Cottage  at  Horiuchi  — The  Dear  Dead  — Gifts  for  the  Spirits  — 

The  Bottom  of  the  Sea  — Fishing  in  the  Empress’s  Sea  Garden  . 272 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Karuizawa  again  — Furihata  is  restored  to  us  — Our  own  Volcano  — 

The  Mountain’s  Outer  Court  — The  Iriyama  Toge  and  the  Cathe- 
dral Rocks  — Sunset  Lilies  — A Forgotten  Monastery  and  a Dying 
Man 285 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

Death  of  Father  Testevuide  — Holy  Poverty — Unsuspected  Philan- 
thropists — The  Leper  Hospital  again  — A Leper’s  Death  — Mere 
Sainte-Mathilde 303 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

The  Definition  of  a Samurai  — Samurai  Men  and  Women  — Samurai 
Ideals  — The  Red  Cross  Society  — Sword-damascening  — Clan 
Government  — Sayonara,  Toki! 312 


X 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

PAGE 

A Terrible  Earthquake  — Destruction  of  a Province  — Kakke,  a Strange 

Disease  — Japanese  Trained  Nurses 326 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  Marriage  of  Prince  Kanin  and  Princess  Chiye  Sanjo  — The 
Wedding  Dinner  and  the  Wedding  Cake  — The  Story  of  the 
Sun-goddess — Buddhist  and  Shinto  Nuns  — An  Imperial  Abbess  340 

CHAPTER  XLI 

A Visit  to  the  Museum  — An  Ancient  Car  — My  Guide  — Christian 
Relics  — Persecutors  and  Persecuted  — An  Hour  in  the  Art  School 
among  the  Lacquer-workers 357 

CHAPTER  XLII 


The  Emperor’s  Silver  Wedding  — A Typical  Gathering  — No  Dancing 

— The  Curtain  Falls 373 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


VOL.  II 

PAGE 

An  Outdoor  Greeting Frontispiece 

Benten  Sama 5 

“Water,  wind-dimpled,  sun-kissed’^  . . o . . . . 9 

A Stone  Lantern ,12 

A Street  in  Enoshima 15 

Enoshima 17 

The  Lights  of  the  Chaya 24 

Moon  and  Lantern  27 

Washing  the  Hands  before  praying  in  the  Temple  ....  31 

A China  Shop 35 

Silk  Reeling 42 

Our  Summer  Home  Awake 51 

And  Asleep 51 

How  the  Rice  grows 53 

The  Gentle  Birds 59 

Left  Alone 60 

Shadow  Games 62 

Shadow  Games 63 

A Daimyo’s  Daughter 67 

The  Departure  of  O Sho  Rung  ........  71 

Pines  in  our  Mountain  Garden 74 

A Rain  Storm 77 

In  Miyadzu’s  Palace 89 

Dharmi,  a Sage  who  floated  to  Japan  through  the  Water  . . 97 

Pilgrims 99 

An  Old  Woman  Pilgrim 104 

Pleasure-boats  on  the  Lake Ill 

In  the  Land  of  Reeds  and  Shadows 114 

xi 


xii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTKATIONS 

PAGE 

Fujiyama  from  Hakone  Lake 116 

Fujiyama  from  Iwabuchi  . .0 121 

H.  I.  H.  Prince  Fushimi  No  Miya 127 

H.  I.  H.  Princess  Fushimi  No  Miya 127 

Portrait  and  Autograph  of  H.  I.  H.  Prince  Arisugawa  Taruhitp  . 131 

Portrait  and  Autograph  of  H.  I.  H.  Princess  Arisugawa  Tada  . 135 

H.  I.  H.  Prince  Kita  Shirakawa 139 

H.  I.  H.  Prince  Komatsu 141 

H.  I.  H.  Princess  Komatsu 141 

Chrysanthemums 145 

The  Bridge  of  Beauty,  Nikko 151 

A Temple  Gate  at  Nikko 157 

One  of  the  Nikko  Temples 159 

The  Long,  Long  Row  of  Buddhas 163 

Chuzenji  Lake 166 

One  of  our  Guests 170 

One  of  the  Children 178 

Carrying  Dolly 181 

Yorkshire  Margaret  and  her  Brothers .184 

A Japanese  Professor  and  his  Family 190 

Tying  on  the  Obi 193 

A Japanese  Lady 196 

Coming  from  the  Bath 205 

Prince  San  jo 213 

The  Sacred  Lotus 216 

The  Shiba  Cemetery 224 

Gate  of  the  Shiba  Temple 227 

The  Hall  of  the  Books 229 

A Very  Old  Cherry  Tree  in  Bloom " 233 

The  Fish  Festival 237 

A Pleasure-boat  on  the  Canal 241 

A Toy  Standard • 244 

Kublai  Khan 250 

Kyoto 257 

The  Daughter  of  Viscount  Aoki  . 266 

A Bronze  Incense-burner 268 

Incense-burner  in  the  Shape  of  a Junk 269 

By  the  Summer  Sea 274 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

PAGE 

A Greeting . 277 

Great  Fish  and  Little  Fish 280 

A Shoal  of  Fish 283 

Asama  Yama 292 

Crows  in  Japan 295 

The  Running  Postman 297 

A Brown-winged  Falcon 301 

A Blind  Masseur 305 

“A  Woman’s  Spirit  is  her  Mirror” 317 

“ The  Fencing  has  begun  ! ” 318 

A Samurai  Lady  imploring  her  Son  not  to  commit  Suicide  . .319 

Results  of  the  Earthquake 329 

A Relief  Camp 332 

A Trained  Nurse 337 

Prince  Kotohito  Kanin 342 

Moon  Panel  (in  Gold  Lacquer) 345 

Moon  and  Mist  (Gold  Lacquer)  . 346 

Prayer  Beads  among  the  Sacred  Treasures  of  Ise  . . . . 347 

The  God  who  is  called  the  Thinker 350 

Cherry  Trees  on  the  Sumida  River 358 

“ The  Empress  . . . stands  in  the  midst  of  them  ” . . . . 361 

A Daimyo’s  Medicine-box  in  Lacquer  (Back) 365 

A Medicine-box  (Front) 365 

A Gold-lacquered  Casket  of  the  Earliest  Period  ....  367 

A Happy  Family 370 

The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies 375 

Count  Inouye 377 

Marquis  Saigo 377 

Silver  Wedding  Medal 379 

Count  Okuma 380 

Baron  Ito 381 

My  Silver  Crane 385 


i 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


CHAPTER  XXI 


ENOSHIMA,  THE  ISLAND  OF  THE  TORTOISE.  — THE  SEA-GOD- 
DESS’S  CITY.  — THE  HOME  OF  THE  SHELLS. — “A  BATH 
IN  THE  WINE  OF  LIFE.”  — KINGS  AND  QUEENS  OF  THE 
DEEP.  — BENTEN  SAMA’S  TEMPLE. — THE  CAVE  OF  THE 
DRAGON 


HE  name  is  so  beautiful  that  I must  write  it  at 


the  top  of  my  paper,  although  I - am  sitting  in 
the  hotel  at  Kamakura,  and  I cannot  catch  a glimpse 
of  the  dream  island  where  I spent  my  yesterday. 

Enoshima ! On  a lovely  morning  of  sunshine  and 
showers  we  left  Kamakura,  and  passed  through  the 
low  screen  of  hills  which  shuts  it  in  to  the  right.  The 
rain  had  laid  the  dust,  and  the  air  was  keen  and  saltly 
sweet ; for  the  night  had  been  a somewhat  stormy 
one.  As  we  rounded  down  from  the  hills  through 
deep-cut  paths  to  the  shore,  we  could  hear  the  slow 
rollers  thundering  in  before  we  caught  a glimpse  of  the 
sea  itself.  Then,  as  we  climbed  the  crest  of  a sand- 
dune,  it  lay  wide  and  near,  laughing  in  the  sunshine, 
moving  in  lazy  billows  as  if  tired  with  its  rough  play 


Enoshima,  Maij,  1890. 


1 


B 


VOL.  II 


2 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


of  the  night.  A wide  stretch  of  sand,  dun  in  the 
shade,  gold  in  the  sun,  and  smooth  as  the  cheek  of  a 
little  child,  swept  away  in  a perfect  curve  that  broke 
once  under  the  climbing  waves,  and  then  rose  high  in 
a dusky  embowered  mass,  floating  in  haze  and  sunshine 
out  at  sea,  the  island  of  the  tortoise,  Enoshima. 

How  can  we  reach  it  ? ” I asked  of  Ogita ; there 
is  no  boat  there ! ” Boat  not  in,  but  honourably 
walking,”  Ogita  replied ; and  pointed  to  a light  wooden 
causeway,  which  seemed  to  dance  on  the  water,  more 
like  a toy  bridge  in  a lady’s  garden  than  a serious 
link  between  island  and  mainland.  But  Ogita  ex- 
plained : the  water  was  only  a foot  or  two  deep 

beneath  the  woodwork ; and  this  would  not  be  needed 
at  all,  were  it  not  that,  when  the  wind  blew  violently 
from  the  south,  the  waves  washed  up  far  beyond  their 
usual  limit.  There  was  no  danger ; to-night  we  could 
probably  return  on  the  sands. 

So  leaving  our  jinrikshas,  we  started  on  foot 
towards  the  mystic  island,  so  fall  of  strange  gods  and 
strange  presences,  so  wrapped  in  the  web  of  story, 

so  little  a part  of  the  life  of  to-day,  that  one  almost 
expects  to  see  it  float  out  to  sea  and  melt  into  cloud 
on  the  horizon.  But  not  to-day,  not  until  I have 
passed  over  the  swaying  bridge,  where  the  water  breaks 
up  lightly,  splashing  my  feet,  and  even  throwing  a 
little  spray  in  my  eyes,  so  that  the  splendid  bronze 
gate  of  the  sea-goddess’s  city  towers  and  sways  for  a 
moment  in  my  dazzled  vision.  Then  the  drops  clear 
away,  and  I see  the  torii  in  all  its  grandeur.  Its 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


3 


beautiful  shape  seems,  as  it  were,  to  square  the  circle, 
to  give  all  that  is  strong  in  angles,  all  that  is  lovely 
in  curves ; and  through  its  dragon-wrought,  wave-swept 
portal  I see  the  long  street  of  a climbing  town,  climb- 
ing high  up  to  the  sunshine  on  wings  of  fluttering  blue 
that  feather  its  sides  above,  on  feet  of  mother-of-pearl, 
where  the  shells  lie  heaped  on  doorstep  and  window 
and  wall  — shells  white  and  lustrous  as  bridal  moons; 
shells  dazzling  and  whorled  as  the  snow-queen’s  crown ; 
shells  rosy,  thick,  thousands  upon  thousands,  like  shed 
petals  piled  together,  as  if  all  the  cherry  blossoms  of 
the  spring  had  been  blown  out  to  Enoshima  on  one 
saving  breeze,  and  touched  to  immortality  as  they  fell 
on  the  brown  strand  of  Benten’s  magic  island. 

Enoshima  is  the  home  of  all  the  shells  in  Japan, 
and  those  which  the  sea  does  not  give  it  are  brought 
there  by  the  gatherers  from  far  and  near.  My  little 
friends  on  the  Kamakura  beaches  have  doubtless  added 
their  store  to  the  rosy  heaps  which  lie  in  open  baskets 
on  either  hand  as  I climb  the  steep  street.  The  flutter 
of  blue  wings  overhead  is  made  by  hundreds  of  shop 
signs,  strange  white  letters  on  blue  cotton  for  the 
most  part,  hanging  close  together,  and  serving  as  a 
sign  to  the  passer-by,  and  a shade  to  the  indwellers 
of  the  little  houses.  To  these  people  the  sea  is  their 
one  treasure-house,  the  gracious  provider  for  all  their 
simple  needs ; and  they  take  it  and  its  wonders  for 
granted.  To  us,  outsiders,  who  go  to  Eiioshima  once 
in  a lifetime,  the  visit  is  a revelation  of  the  riches 
and  beauties  of  the  world  of  water  that  laps  round 


4 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


our  world  of  earth.  How  can  I put  before  you  any 
picture  of  the  white  and  rosy  wonders  piled  on  either 
side  of  the  rough,  poor  little  street  ? In  Europe  we 
never  see  these  things  in  their  glory  ; occasionally  one 
poor  specimen,  brought  home  in  a seaman’s  chest,  finds 
its  way  to  a dull  shop,  grey  and  mouruful  as  the 
northern  winter,  and  arrests  us  as  with  a dazzle  of 
tropical  sunshine,  a flushing  of  rose,  and  a call  of  the 
southern  sea.  In  my  wanderings  about  Vienna,  of  all 
unlikely  places,  I came  once  on  a naturalist’s  den, 
where,  in  a dusty  corner,  lay  one  of  these  included 
cups  of  the  sea,  warm  ivory  on  the  fluted  verge,  sun- 
set colour  nearer  the  heart,  its  curves  as  free  and  fine 
as  the  soft  blown  draperies  on  young  limbs  which 
some  Greek  sculptor  saw  in  the  laurel  groves  of  Hellas 
and  reproduced  with  tears  in  his  slavery  in  Rome. 
I knelt  down,  there  in  Vienna,  and  put  my  eat*  to  the 
great  shell’s  mouth;  and  deep  in  its  heart  it  was  sing- 
ing still,  a song  of  morning  seas  and  velvet  sands  and 
fisher-lads,  the  song  that  I heard  again  to-day  on  the 
sacred  steps  of  Enoshima.  For  Enoshima  is  sacred, 
from  the  caves  at  its  foot  to  the  temples  on  its  sum- 
mit ; consecrated  at  first  to  Benten,  the  goddess  of  love 
and  good  fortune,  always  gracious  and  helpful  to  the 
lads  who  must  make  their  living  at  sea.  But  Benten 
was  a Buddhist  goddess,  and  at  the  so-called  Purifica- 
tion of  Shinto”  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  reign, 
she  was  banished  from  her  temples  in  Enoshima  with 
other  Buddhist  divinities,  and  her  island  kingdom  was 
given  ov^er  to  the  care  of  Shinto  priests.  But  the 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


5 


fisher-lad  on  the  shore  will  offer  to  guide  you  to  her 
temple,  and  in  the  little  silent  curious  crowd  which 
follows  you  from  place  to  place  deprecatory  glances 
and  pitying  smiles  will  be  exchanged  if  you  say  that 
you  do  not  mean  to  climb  so  far. 


people  in  Enoshima  have  not  concurred  in  the  Imperial 
condemnation,  and  Benten  Sama  still  reigns  there,  none 
the  less  supreme  because  she  is  invisible.  The  first 


BENTEN  SAMA 


6 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAX 


And  at  first,  in  truth,  I did  not  say  I would;  for 
I thought  the  hours  of  daylight  would  hardly  see  me 
past  the  street  of  shells.  The  sun  was  mounting  high, 
and  shot  down  hotly  between  the  flutterings  of  the 
flags ; inside  the  low  shops  were  a thousand  strange 
things,  to  be  bought  for  such  tiny  sums  that  all  my 
following  had  both  hands  full  in  half  an  hour ; a breeze 
from  the  sea,  warm  and  cool  at  once,  and  wholly  salt 
and  refreshing,  lifted  the  cotton  screens  and  caused 
them  to  rustle  and  snap  joyously ; and  I stayed  on, 
turning  from  one  thing  to  another  in  the  luminous  low 
shops..  The  light  has  a strange  quality  in  Enoshima. 
All  through  Japan  it  is  admirably  strong  and  pure ; but 
here  it  almost  has  a colour  of  its  own  — a colour  made 
of  the  sheen  of  mother-of-pearl  and  the  gem-gleams 
under  the  sea,  and  morning  haze,  and  the  shadow  of 
the  rock  on  the  waves-;  a million  vibrations  reaching 
the  eye  at  once,  all  dancing,  alive,  iridescent,  melted  in 
one  copious  wash  of  sunshine,  to  me  like  a bath  in  the 
wine  of  life.  Against  it  all  shadows  are  transparent, 

cool,  just  light  of  another  colour,  light  asleep,  no  dark- 

ness anywhere.  The  low-roofed  treasure-house  of  shells 
has  no  dusky  corners ; every  detail  is  absolutely  clear, 
every  beauty  stands  out  to  be  praised  and  catalogued. 
Here  at  my  feet  are  the  kings  and  queens  of  the  deep, 
— huge  nautilus  shells  like  hollow  pearls  filled  with 
moonlight,  open  shells  where  Benten  (or  Venus  or 
Freya,  it  is  but  a change  of  name)  must  have  rested 
and  slept  one  summer’s  night,  for  they  are  warm  and 

rosy  still;  and  reach  out  their  curved  lips  laughingly 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


7 


for  something  to  kiss;  there  are  solemn  conch  shells, 
that  have  slept  nnder  brown  seaweed  in  autumn  star- 
light, and  have  caught  the  rhymed  chant  of  the  weaves 
on  the  shore ; open  shells  of  green  and  grey  mother-of- 
pearl,  with  shifting  crimson  gleams  on  the  vigorous 
edge  turned  in  like  an  ear  strained  and  alert,  where 
five  round  holes  pierce  through  in  mystic  symmetry, 
as  if  the  sea-king’s  daughter  had  been  trying  her  ear- 
rings there ; and  there  are  little  shells  in  myriads  as 
I have  said,  thick  as  the  Empress’s  cherry  blossoms 
in  spring;  there  are  showers  of  spun  glass,  as  sharp 
and  silvery  as  moonbeams  on  ice,  and  these  are  the 
glass  ropes  of  the  beautiful  Hyalonema  sponges ; there 
are  huge  tortoise  shields,  measuring  four  and  five  feet 
across,  but  these  we  would  not  look  at,  having  been 
promised  a sight  of  a mythical  tortoise  whose  home 
is  supposed  to  be  somewhere  in  the  Enoshima  caves, 
and  who  is  said  to  measure  twenty-three  feet  across 
his  old  back ; there  are  sprays  of  shells  like  lilies-of- 
the-valley  dipped  in  milk,  sea-foam  lilies  — they  are  born 
of  a kiss,  where  the  sun  met  the  wave : and  besides 
all  these,  hundreds  of  ornaments  cut  out  of  mother-of- 
pearl — big  fish  and  little  fish  (I  bought  strings  of  these 
all  hung  together,  of  the  softest  pink,  and  rarely  carved), 
hairpins  with  moons  and  rabbits  and  roses  and  branches 
of  plum  and  cherry  blossom ; and  tiny  glass  cups  blown 
double,  with  a shell  or  two  and  a wisp  of  seaweed 
and  a gleam  of  gold-dust  loose  inside  the  glass,  run- 
ning down  to  your  lip  as  you  drink,  but  never  pass- 
ing from  the  crystal  prison  unless  you  break  it,  when 


8 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


you  will  lose  the  value  of  three-quarters  of  a farthing, 
and  destroy  a thing  of  fairy  beauty  Avhich  would  have 
told  you  stories  of  sea  and  sunshine  to  the  day  of  your 
death ! 

At  last  I tore  myself  away  from  the  shells,  and 
climbed  a path  that  led  up  by  grey  stone  steps  under 
solemn  trees  to  an  inn,  which  hangs  like  a gull’s  nest 
high  on  the  face  of  the  cliff,  staring  out  to  sea.  And 
what  a sea ! The  breadth  and  the  blue  of  it ! From 
that  high  place  the  horizon  is  so  distant  that  it  almost 
ceases  to  be ; the  world  is  a sapphire  globe  endomed 
in  sun-shot  crystal ; earth  seems  an  accident,  Enoshima 
here  a seaweed  freak  that  has  come  up  to  breathe ; 
I and  it  may  pass  away,  but  sea  and  sunshine  seem 
eternal  in  their  white  empire  of  noon. 

The  little  inn  is  fresh  and  white,  and  open  to  the 
bay  as  an  empty  shell.  On  the  side  to  the  sea  all 
the  screens  have  been  removed,  and  the  wooden  veran- 
dah runs  past  three  rooms  as  open  as  itself,  and  then 
drops  suddenly,  as  it  were,  down  a very  steep  stair- 
case, shining  as  lacquer  and  innocent  of  a handrail. 
Also  the  steps  have  no  connecting  planks ; and  as  one 
goes  up  or  down  one  sees  between  them  the  laughing 
brown  faces  of  coolies  or  pilgrims  resting  in  the  space 
below,  and  much  amused  to  see  how  high -heeled  foreign 
shoes  catch  and  slip  on  the  polished  wood.  As  I look 
down  through  the  openings,  I see  the  maid  of  the  inn 
making  my  tea  with  care  under  Ogita’s  directions,  and 
Rinzo  is  toasting  bread  on  his  chopsticks  over  a liibaclii; 
so  I turn  back,  and  wait  for  the  simple  meal,  feeling 


LETTERS  FROM  JAP  AX 


9 


rather  ashamed  to  need  food  at  all  in  the  face  of  such 
a view  on  such  a morning ! But  one  is  only  human 
after  all,  and  emotions  are  distinctly  exhausting ; so 
I am  very  glad  when  the  musume  comes  in,  on  her 
knees,  and  pushes  towards  me  a carved  tray  in  the 


“water,  wind-dimpled,  sun-kissed” 


form  of  a lotus  leaf,  with  a teapot  shaped  like  a shell, 
and  cups  painted  with  little  goldfish  swimming  round 
the  base  of  Fuji  San. 

My  companions  have  gone  away,  and  for  a moment 
I am  alone  in  Japan  — that  much  of  Japan  which 
surrounds  me  here.  On  the  floor  are  cool  wheat- 
coloured  mats,  and  thin  silk  cushions  in  bright  silks 
lie  about  for  seats.  The  inner  screens  of  the  rooms 
have  much  white  wood  about  tliem ; and  what  paper 


10 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


there  is,  is  pale  blue,  with  a sprinkling  of  silver  pine 
needles  on  it.  The  alcove  of  honour,  the  tokonoma^ 
is  framed  in  by  a tree,  a beautiful  ash  trunk,  still 
wearing  its  fine  bark ; and  a branch  reaching  out  is 
embedded  in  the  ceiling,  and  marks  the  arch  of  the 
alcove.  Here  the  paper  is  very  rich,  a running  melon 
design  in  crusted  silver,  and  against  it  hangs  a scroll, 
with  a poem  written  on  it  in  bold  grass  characters. 
Below,  on  the  step,  stands  a tall  bronze  vase,  holding 
some  sea-grasses  and  a branch  of  pine ; and  on  the 
side  of  the  frame  opposite  the  tree  trunk  a bamboo 
stand  for  fans  is  hung,  and  holds  two  or  three  of  the 
hotel  fans,  which  are  presented  to  the  guests  as  keep- 
sakes. They  are  rather  violent  in  colour  — on  one  side 
scarlet,  with  the  name  of  the  inn  printed  in  white,  but 
the  back  is  softer,  with  a picture  of  an  enormous  turtle 
with  a fringed  tail  creeping  up  on  a very  small  rock ; 
the  rock  represents  Enoshima,  and  the  turtle  the  inn, 
for  it  is  called  The  House  of  the  Golden  Turtle.” 

The  musume  creeps  in  to  know  if  I will  have  some 
more  tea,  and  I keep  her  to  tell  me  something  about 
herself.  Her  name  is  Ko,  she  says,  and  she  is  seven- 
teen, and  very  glad  that  I admire  her  bright-green 
sash,  which  was  a present  from  her  brother  at  New 
Year.  Her  brother  is  a waiter  at  Atami;  and  she 
too  goes  to  Atami  in  the  winter,  for  then  no  one 
visits  Enoshima,  and  the  mistress  here  keeps  no  maid. 
^yages?  No,  she  has  no  wages,  but  her  food  and  a 
summer  dress  ; and  the  visitors  are  honourably  kind. 
Two  English  ladies  stayed  here  ten  days  a little  while 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


11 


ago,  and  they  also  made  pictures  — ah  ! but  this  Oku- 
sama's  picture  is  prettier ; and  she  comes  and  laughs 
over  the  drawing  of  herself  in  my  sketch-book,  and 
then  some  one  calls  for  her,  and  she  bows  and  glides 
away ; and  I hear  her  drop  softly  down  the  polished 
stairs,  and  slip  on  her  straw  zori  with  a little  click  at 
the  bottom. 

And  now  the  time  for  rest  is  over,  and  I must 
climb  the  hill  and  see  Benten  Sama’s  Temple,  and  go 
down  to  the  caves  on  the  other  side,  and  do  many 
things  for  which  the  day  seems  short.  The  sun  has 
passed  oyer  to  the  other  side  of  the  island  ridge,  and 
all  the  path  on  this  side  is  in  shadow.  A light  moist- 
ure seems  hanging  in  the  air,  and  fern  fronds  are  un- 
curling, and  pine  branches  seem  to  be  stretching  in 
the  cool  relief  of  the  afternoon.  As  we  leave  the  inn 
and  turn  up  the  ascending  road,  a party  of  pilgrims 
pass  us,y^an  old,  old  man  with  his  sons  and  grandsons, 
all  carrying  staves,  with  the  little  blue  towels  which 
they  will  take  as  offerings  to  the  shrine  tied  to  them, 
done  up  in  gay  printed  papers.  They  look  at  us 
curiously,  and  go  on,  in  single  file,  saying  some 
prayers,  I think,  for  they  exchange  no  remarks  on 
our  appearance  as  they  go  by.  We  are  taking  it 
slowly,  enjoying  the  delicious  freshness  of  the  sea, 
and  in  no  hurry  to  face  the  sun,  still  hot  on  the 
other  slope.  And  so  we  pass  from  terrace  to  terrace 
of  the  island  stair ; for  the  sides  of  Enoshima  are 
steep,  and  rise  from  the  sea  in  huge  steps  like  the  vine 
terraces  of  Amalfi.  But  here  there  are  stone  balus- 


12 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


trades  at  the  edge,  and  behind  them  stone  lanterns, 
and  here  and  there  a torii,  and  here  and  there  a shrine, 
decayed  and  empty,  but  not  quite  forgotten,  as  the  rough 
bamboo  vases  filled  with  still  fresh  wild 
flowers  testify ; and  more  than  once  an 
incense-stick  just  lighted  sends  up  its 
close-curling  spiral  of  smoke,  blue-grey 
against  the  weather-worn  stone,  and 
everywhere  the  background  is  deep- 
green  foliage  growing  straight  and  thick 
against  the  cliff. 

The  three  temples  of  Benten  Sama 
stand  one  above  the  other,  separated  by 
a wave  of  dark  trees,  each  sadder  and 
more  deserted  than  the  last,  till  the 
third  crowns  the  ridge  with  something 
of  stately  desolation.  The  Shinto  re- 
form, whatever  it  was,  seems,  like  some 
other  so-called  reforms,  to  have  been  a 
thing  sour  and  unlovely,  strong  only 
for  destruction,  and  incapable  of  filling  up  the  shrines 
emptied  by  its  iconoclastic  rage.  Where  it  reigns  alone, 
^‘  purified,”  as  its  adherents  call  it,  it  strikes  one  with 
dull  depression.  There  is  nothing  in  the  dusty  mirror 
and  the  torn  goliei  to  inspire  hope  in  the  future  or 
courage  in  the  present.  The  face  of  Buddha  is  as  the 
face  of  a friend,  serene,  merciful,  gracious  to  poor  human- 
ity ; but  in  the  mirror  of  Shinto  man  finds  only  his  own 
travel-stained  reflection  — the  picture  of  that  self  which 
must  be  left  behind  before  he  can  enter  into  peace. 


A STONE  LANTERN 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


13 


Round  the  entrance  of  the  chief  Temple  is  an 
enclosing  fence,  called,  I think,  the  Jewel  Hedge  ” in 
Shinto  phraseology,  but  enclosing  no  jewels  here,  or  at 
least  only  the  mystic  ones  which  would  have  no  value 
for  mankind  at  large.  The  Temple  is  empty  and 
dusty  like  the  others;  but  Ogita,  with  superb  contempt 
for  the  ‘^purification  of  Shinto,”  persuades  me  to  sit 
down  on  a mossy  stone,  and  listen  to  his  stories  of 
Benten  Sama  and  all  her  goodness  and  greatness  and 
beauty.  I think  she  must  be  Ogita’s  patron  goddess, 
for  he  rarely  waxes  eloquent  about  any  other,  and 
smiles  rather  pityingly  at  many  a strange  idol  that  I 
Avant  stories  about.  But  when  he  speaks  of  Benten 
Sama  his  eyes  light  up,  his  delicate  aquiline  face  takes 
on  a flush  of  colour,  and  there  is  quite  a ring  in  his 
queerly  constructed  phrases.  He  is  a samurai,  a great 
swordsman  still,  and  a favourite  instructor  in  the  noble 
art ; so  I am  a little  surprised  at  this  devotion  to  the 
lady  of  love  and  luck.  As  for  explanations,  ask  them 
not  of  a Japanese ! The  springs  of  action  for  him  and 
you  are  separated  by  an  almost  impassable  gulf.  After 
years  of  intercourse,  he  might  understand  the  real 
drift  of  your  question;  more  years  would  have  to 
elapse  before  you  could  understand  his  answer. 

But  Avhile  we  were  philosophising  on  the  portal  of 
Benten’s  desecrated  home,  the  sun  had  passed  away 
from  us  to  the  Avestern  slope  of  the  island,  and  Ave 
must  follow,  or  night  would  fall  long  before  we  could 
reach  the  mainland  again,  for  there  is  niuch  to  see  on 
the  western  side.  Unfortunately,  I suppose,  I am  a 


14 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


very  slow  sight-seer.  That  which  pleases  me  must  be 
seen  to  the  uttermost  before  I want  to  move  on  to 
the  next  object  of  interest,  even  if  it  be  incomparably 
more  important.  On  the  very  crest  of  Benten’s  island 
I found  some  little  tea-houses,  open  to  the  sea,  empty 
for  the  breeze  to  riot  through,  airy  sun-dried  nests, 
where  one  could  sit  in  the  shade  of  a thin  awning,  and 
look  out  on  the  blue  world  of  water  — water  wind- 
dimpled,  sun-kissed,  deepest  sapphire  in  the  shadow  of 
a rock  a thousand  feet  below  me,  but  fading  into 
tender  haze  far  off  on  the  horizon,  where,  away  to  the 
south,  the  island  volcano  of  Oshima  sent  up  the  thin 
spiral  oS-  smoke  which  T used  to  watch  for  hours  from 
the  Atami  shore.  That  light  cloud,  never  changing 
shape,  white  by  night  and  grey  by  day,  has  a kind  of 
symbolic  importance  in  this  coast  landscape.  It  is  like 
the  gentle  regret  of  a faithful  soul,  a shred  of  mist  on 
the  background  of  life,  the  sound  of  a sigh  in  every 
pause  of  its  brave  music ! 

Here  on  the  hill  a very,  very  old  woman  gave  me 
tea,  and  bowed  her  poor  grey  head  to  the  ground  when 
I praised  the  view.  She  said  her  house  was  poor  and 
mean,  and  I made  Ogita  tell  her  that  it  was  rich  in 
beauty,  and  her  tea  most  refreshing ; whereupon  she 
made  me  a present  of  a fairy  teacup,  of  the  thinnest 
china,  with  the  ghost  of  Fuji  San  dreamed  into  it  — if 
you  will  forgive  the  barbaric  phrase.  English  is  a 
clumsy,  scpiare-toed  vehicle  of  expression,  and  stumbles 
along,  crushing  a thousand  beauties  of  my  Japanese 
thought  garden,  which  a more  delicate  language  (or  a 


LETTEKS  EROM  JAPAN 


15 


was  so  withered  and  sea-dried  that  it  was  more  like  a 
weather-beaten  shell  than  anything  which  still  has  to 
consume  and  decay ; her  eyes  were  bright  still,  even 
through  the  tears  of  old  age,  and  her  coarse  blue 
garments  were  clean  and  faded,  as  if  they  had  often 
been  washed  in  salt  water.  One  son  was  a soldier, 
she  said,  one  a fisherman,  who  had  been  drowned  at 
sea ; her  granddaughter  had  gone  down  the  clih  to 
wash  her  clothes,  and — august  thanks — would  the  lady 
return  some  day  — return  soon  ? Sayonara,  Sayonara  ! 


more  skilful  writer !)  might  have  preserved  for  you. 
The  little  old  woman  was  such  a personality,  the  only 
soul  in  sight,  for  the  other  houses  seemed  empty;  her 
grey  hair  was  cut  almost  short,  and  gathered  in  with 
a comb  at  the  back  of  her  head ; her  hands  were  like 
knotty  twigs  on  old  pine  trees,  and  her  brown  body 


A STREET  IN  ENOSIIIMA 


16 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


We  left  her  standing  before  the  square  opening 
which  she  called  her  house,  behind  her  the  farther  sea, 
the  awning  over  her  head  flapping  like  a dazzling  white 
wing  against  its  blueness,  at  her  feet  the  first  of  a long 
flight  of  steps  cut  in  yellowish  stone,  which  led  down 
the  steep  cliff  to  the  famous  cave  of  the  Dragon,  whose 
opening  is  hardly  above  high-water  level.  If  the 
Dragon  ever  lived  here,  he  went  long  ago  — went 
perhaps  with  Benten  Sania  to  the  under-world ; Ogita 
tells  me  that  the  cave  only  holds  its  name  on  account 
of  its  shape,  like  a dragon’s  tail,  twisting  and  curving 
and  diminishing  as  it  runs  into  the  island’s  heart,  where 
it  is  lost  in  blackness.  At  the  foot  of  the  rude  steps 
(far  ruder  and  steeper  than  I cared  for)  one  or  two 
natural  terraces  are  formed  by  rocks  jutting  out  and 
then  shelving  down  to  the  water.  They  are  connected 
with  planks,  forming  rather  crazy  bridges,  much  shaken 
by  the  thud  of  the  water  breaking  below.  We  have 
to  scramble  over  these  to  get  round  to  the  entrance 
of  the  cave  ; the  water  has  receded  now,  and  left  a 
few  pools,  where  boys  are  diving  for  crabs,  the  little 
Enoshima  crabs  which  are  much  prized  in  Tokyo. 
Then  we  find  a girl,  who  must  be  the  granddaughter 
of  our  old  hostess  on  the  cliff,  kneeling  on  bare  knees 
by  a pool,  her  sleeves  all  bound  back,  her  skirts  kilted 
up,  washing  some  poor  blue  wisps  of  clothing  which 
seem  hardly  worth  the  toil.  We  pass  a stone  lantern, 
pass  the  boys,  wdio  want  to  sell  us  crabs,  and  then 
suddenly  our  swaying  bridge  with  its  broken  handrail 
turns  where  the  sea  rushes  with  a roar  into  the  cleft 


ENOSHIMA 


j 

1 

1 

i 


j 


i 

\ 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


19 


heart  of  the  rocks,  and  we  follow  it  dizzily,  deafened 
with  the  thundering  echoes  of  the  cave,  and  more 
than  once  blinded  by  a drift  of  spray,  breaking  high 
on  its  wet  black  sides. 

Some  little  way  within  the  entrance  we  come  to 
solid  ground,  marked  by  a shrine,  where  a soft  gleam 
of  light  makes  a ring  of  gold  on  the  gloom  — a little 
wooden  shrine,  which  must,  I think,  be  the  one  of 
which  Rein  says  that  it  has  to  be  removed  every 
spring,  and  put  back  several  feet  from  where  it  can 
stand  in  the  winter,  because,  while  the  south-west  mon- 
soon blows,  the  water  piles  higher  on  all  the  south 
coast,  and  then  falls  again  when  the  monsoon  changes. 
As  I approach  I find  the  golden  ring  growing  larger, 
and  can  distinguish  a number  of  candles  burning  be- 
hind the  shrine  ; they  have  been  carried  into  the  cave 
by  pilgrims,  and  are  left  here  as  an  offering  when  the 
exploration  is  over.  A shadowy  guardian  sells  some 
of  them  again  to  us,  and  we  creep  into  the  damp  twist- 
ing passage,  from  which  other  passages  branch  off 
blackly.  We  pass  rough  gods  hewn  in  the  rock,  grey 
and  solemn,  buried  in  this  eternal  darkness  near  the 
springs  of  things,  feeling  the  earthquake  rive  its  way 
to  the  light  through  the  heart  of  the  world,  hearing 
the  thud  of  breakers  on  the  outer  wall  of  their  island 
castle ; visited  day  after  day  in  the  kindly  summer 
by  poor  pilgrims,  rich  in  faith  and  devotion  to  the 
only  gods  their  twilight  has  revealed,  left  alone  in 
the  long  months  of  winter  while  the  salt  creeps  over 
their  faces  like  a veil,  and  the  crawling  sea  things  have 


20 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


it  all  to  themselves  in  the  empty  passages.  What!  I 
must  stoop  and  creep  through  that  black  hole  to  reach 
the  last  and  most  holy  shrine?  No,  Ogita,  the  day- 
light is  sweet,  and  holy  too ; and  here  there  is  a drip 
of  dead  water,  the  air  is  thick  and  grave-bound.  Out 
to  the  world  again,  please ; I have  no  mind  to  be 
buried  before  my  time,  and  I fear  to  faint  in  this 
choking  darkness.  Ah  1 there  it  is,  beyond  the  damp 
rock  walls  and  the  smoking  candles,  beyond  the  cave’s 
mouth  is  my  world  — a world  of  sunlit  breakers,  and 
scudding  clouds,  and  fresh  salt  breeze  stinging  every 
sense  to  triumphant  life  again. 

An  hour  later  I look  back  from  the  sandy  pass 
over  the  dune.  Enoshima  seems  to  have  swum  out  to 
sea,  and  lies  a misty  mass,  its  face  turned  away  from 
me  to  the  dull-red  line  which  shows  where  the  sun 
dropped  but  a few  moments  ago.  The  night  is  upon 
us,  quick  and  cold ; we  must  draw  our  wraps  closely, 
as  we  speed  along  the  darkened  road.  Sayonara, 
Enoshima  1 


CHAPTER  XXII 


A SENSATIONAL  JOURNEY.  — IKAO  AND  THE  GREAT  HILLS. 
— KINDLY  SHOWERS.  — A WALK  UP  THE  GORGE.  — 
BUDDHA  AMONG  THE  TEACUPS.  — THE  COLOUR  OF  IKAO. 
— PICTURES  IN  THE  VILLAGE  STREET.  — FISHING  FOR 
GOLDFISH 


IHE  summer  quarters  in  Karuizawa  were  not  quite 


ready,  so  w^  came  up  here  for  a fortnight,  since 
Tokyo  had  become  unbearably  warm  and  damp.  The 
dampness  is  here  too ; for  it  rains  much,  and  between 
the  rains  a soft  cool  mist  hangs  on  the  hillsides  and 
clings  to  one’s  garments,  and  even  creeps  into  the 
rooms  of  Murumatsu’s  hotel,  where  we  are  staying. 

H could  not  leave  Tokyo  at  once,  so  I came  on 

first  with  a friend;  and  a rather  adventurous  time  we 
two  women  had  of  it  before  we  reached  this  nest  in  the 
clouds.  There  are  many  things  which  are  still  vague, 
uncatalogued  as  it  were,  in  Japan,  and  the  measure- 
ment of  distance  is  one  of  them.  You  ask  a weary 
foot-traveller  with  a pack  on  his  back  how  far  it  is  to 
the  next  town,  and  he  replies,  long  way  — at  least 
five  ri  ” (just  about  twelve  miles).  Then  you  meet  a 
fresh,  well-set-up  youth  coming  out  of  a tea-house, 
where  he  has  had  a rest  and  a meal.  Is  it  really  five 

21 


Ikao,  July,  1890. 


22 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


ri  to  Ikao?”  you  ask,  in  a despairing  voice;  and  he 
laughs  as  he  replies,  Five  ri ! No,  indeed;  perhaps 
one  and  a half  — not  more ! ” All  of  which  is  very 
puzzling  and  misleading  to  us  prosaic  foreigners,  who 
do  not  measure  distances  (as  of  course  they  should  be 
measured)  by  our  sensations  in  regard  to  them.  And 
so  it  happened  that  my  friend  and  I left  Tokyo  very 
comfortably  towards  noon,  having  four  hours  of  rail- 
way journey,  and,  after  that,  four  hours  (as  we  were 
told)  of  easy  hill-travelling,  which  would  bring  us  to 
Ikao  in  time  for  sunset  clouds,  dinner,  and  twilight  on 
the  verandah  and  a full  moon  afterwards.  The  rail- 
way journey  was  new  to  me,  for  I have  never  travelled 
on  this  northern  line  before.  The  carriages  are  much 
more  comfortable  than  those  on  the  other  lines,  and 
by  a kind  attention  of  the  English  superintendent  we 
found  a charming  little  tea-table  laid  out  in  the  car- 
riage, and  amused  ourselves  with  making  tea  at  least 
three  times  in  the  course  of  the  short  journey.  The 
scenery  is  rather  flat  until  Mayebashi  is  reached ; but 
everything  was  still  in  its  summer  freshness,  the  little 
stations  along  the  line  are  pictures  of  neatness,  and 
at  each  one  there  is  always  a group  of  peasants  and 
children  and  coolies,  leaning  over  the  great  gates 
and  gazing  at  the  amazing  toy,  which  seems  to  be  no 
less  interesting  to  them  now  than  when  it  first  ploughed 
its  smoky  way  past  their  quiet  villages. 

At  Mayebashi  we  left  the  train,  and  took  refuge 
from  the  blazing  heat  in  a cool  tea-house,  where  we 
lingered  willingly  while  Ogita,  who  had  been  sent  on 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


23 


by  an  earlier  train,  organised  the  usual  procession  of 
jinrikslias  and  cliair-coolies ; these  last  took  a great 
deal  of  finding  and  bribing,  as  chairs  are  quite  un- 
known in  this  part  of  the  world.  My  chair  had  come 
on  in  Ogita’s  train ; but  before  I had  been  in  it  ten 
minutes,  I regretted  that  I had  not  chosen  the  humble 
jinriksha  instead,  for  the  men  had,  of  course,  not  learnt 
to  keep  step,  and  changed  shoulder  to  the  poles  every 
few  minutes,  so  that  I felt  somewhat  as  Mazeppa  might 
have  done  between  the  four  wild  horses.  I noticed 
O’ Matsu  and  Ogita  having  a rather  serious  talk  with 
the  innkeeper,  and  found  afterwards  that  they  had 
been  making  inquiries  as  to  the  distance  to  Ikao, 
neither  of  them  having  been  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try before.  The  answers  had  been  disconcerting,  and 
they  concluded  that  the  innkeeper  was  dishonestly  ex- 
aggerating the  length  of  the  journey  so  as  to  keep  us 
at  Mayebashi  for  the  night,  so  they  decided  that 
nothing  need  be  said  to  me  on  the  matter.  So  we 
started  off,  by  white  dusty  roads  across  the  burning 
plain ; the  day  wore  on  and  on,  and  the  Ikao  Moun- 
tains looked  as  far  off  as  ever.  We  were  very  tired, 
and  also  hungry,  for  by  some  mistake  Ogita  had 
allowed  the  luncheon-basket  to  be  sent  on  in  the  morn- 
ing with  the  heavy  luggage,  and  we  could  get  nothing 
but  Japanese  tea  and  peppermint  cakes  at  the  tea- 
houses on  the  road. 

At  last,  to  our  intense  relief,  a light  rain  began  to 
fall ; but  before  we  had  ceased  to  be  thankful  for  it,  it 
became  a deluge.  Then  the  night  fell  unmistakably,  and 


24 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


at  last  we  pulled  up  at  a chaya,  whose  yellow  lanterns 
and  leaping  fire  stood  out  pleasantly  against  the  black- 
ness of  the  great  hills  looming  up  behind  it.  The  men 
were  spent,  and  w^e  and  they  quite  drenched;  so  we 
stopped  for  a short  rest.  The  poor  coolies  pulled  off 
their  straw  sandals,  caked  with  mud,  and  threw  them 


THE  LIGHTS  OF  THE  CHAYA 


away ; then  crept  round  the  big  fire  blazing  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  inn,  the  open  kitchen  where  travellers  of  the 
lower  class  are  welcome  to  rest  and  warm  themselves. 
The  nesan  (or  elder  sister,  as  they  call  the  maid)  brought 
them  steaming  bowls  of  macaroni,  of  which  we  also 
would  gladly  have  eaten  but  for  the  impossible  flavouring 
of  daikon  which  seemed  to  accompany  it.  Daikon  is  a 
giant  horse-radish,  having  a naturally  rank  and  corrupt 
odour ; this  the  J apanese  improve  iqDon  by  ' various 
methods  of  pickling  and  long  keeping,  till,  when  it  is 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


25 


ready  for  use,  it  is  so  pungent  and  horrible  that,  as 
somebody  observed  of  Limburger  cheese,  it  might  be 
employed  as  a danger  signal  at  sea.  I once  (perhaps 
rather  unkindly)  asked  a Japanese  gentleman  how  his 
people  could  enjoy  such  horrors ; and  he  replied,  It  is 
our  Stilton  cheese,  you  see  ! ” The  truth  is,  that  the 
staples  of  food  here  — rice,  macaroni,  and  a kind  of 
pulse  — are  all  quite  tasteless,  and  must  also  be  eaten 
in  great  quantities  to  sustain  existence ; so  a strong  . 
cheap  pickle  is  an  absolute  necessity  to  the  masses. 

Perhaps  the  daikon  spurred  me  on.  It  seemed  too 
all-pervading  to  escape  from  inside  the  house ; and 
when  Ogita,  with  a very  long  face,  came  to  tell  me 
that,  according  ^to  local  authorities,  it  would  take  us 
three  hours  of  night-travelling  through  the  pouring  rain 
to  reach  Ikao,  I decided  to  face  that  rather  than  remain 
where  we  were,  without  baggage  or  European  food  of 
any  kind,  and  — with  ‘the  daikon.  So,  slowly  and 
unwillingly,  we  set  off,  hoping  against  hope  that  there 
might  be  some  mistake  about  the  distance.  As  we 
climbed  into  the  hills,  the  darkness  was  so  thick  that 
often  only  the  wet  gleam  of  the  coolies’  lanterns  showed 
me  where  my  companions  were.  I had  by  this  time 
taken  to  a jinriksha  for  the  more  speed;  and  the  last 
glimpse  I had  of  my  chau*  showed  it  to  me  standing 
out  in  the  village  street,  while  one  of  the  coolies,  hav- 
ing got  into  it,  was  trying  to  copy  my  usual  attitude, 
leaning  back  with  a hand  on  either  arm,  and  to  smoke 
a pipe  at  the  same  time.  He  must  have  been  dread- 
fully uncomfortable,  for  the  rain  was  coming  down  on 


26 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN  ' 


him  in  sheets;  but  he  evidently  felt  quite  repaid  for 
that  by  sitting  in  the  seat  of  honour  which  had  sat 
so  heavily  on  his  shoulders  all  day. 

We  had  a very  weird  night  ride,  through  the  mist 
and  rain,  over  solitary  moors,  where  we  could  only  see 
a few  yards  of  the  track  at  a time.  The  men  came 
along  bravely,  never  grumbling  at  the  awful  state  of 
the  path  — one  cannot  call  it  a road  — and  even  mak- 
ing little  jokes  at  the  worst  places.  The  cheery  daunt- 
lessness of  these  poor  fellows  makes  one  feel  ashamed 
of  growling  over  any  of  our  much  more  bearable  dis- 
comforts. But  I was  too  much  interested  in  the  queer 
experience  to  feel  the  fatigue  or  even  the  chill  of  the 
night  rain ; there  was  just  enough  light  to  show 
enormous  sweeps  of  rain-swept  mountains,  deep  valleys 
full  of  white  cloud  armies  that  rose  like  awakened 
ghosts  and  crept  up  the  hill  behind  us,  pushing  us  on 
into  the  darkness  beyond.  Suddenly,  in  a lull  of  the 
rain,  I saw  a great  white  star  moving  sloAvly  down 
towards  me  out  of  the  sky.  Only  when  it  floated  close 
to  my  eyes  did  I discover  that  it  -was  the  very  patri- 
arch of  all  the  fireflies,  though  what  he  was  doing 
abroad  on  such  a night  I cannot  imagine.  Now  and 
then  the  men  would  stop  to  rest,  and  draw  all  our  jin- 
rikshas  together  against  a bank,  where  the  lanterns 
hung  on  the  shafts  made  a faint  circle  of  light  in  the 
ghostly  air,  and  showed  visibly  the  hopeless  wetness 
of  all  near  objects.  The  coolies  would  get  to  the  lee 
of  our  little  wooden  carriages,  and  try  to  light  a pipe ; 
and  the  whiff  of  their  coarse  tobacco  floated  comfortingly 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


27 


for  a moment  through  the  mist.  Then  they  would  start 
off  again ; and  in  a few  minutes  the  first  ones  in  the 
long  line  loomed  huge  and  threatening  on  a rise  before 
us  against  a pale  patch  of  sky,  behind  which  the  full 
moon  should  have  been  shining. 

At  last  we  saw  lights  in  the  distance,  and  in  a few 
minutes  a whole  tribe  of  little  gnomes,  carrying  big 
round  lanterns  and  huge 
oil-paper  umbrellas,  were 
beside 

us,  and  saying,  ^^Muru- 
matsu,  Murumatsu,”  over 
and  over  again,  to  show 
that  they  came^from  the 
hotel.  One  last  effort  of 
our  poor  coolies  dragged 
us  up  through  an  avenue 
of  dripping  firs,  so  steep 
that  the  trees  might  have 
been  growing  up  the  side 
of  a house ; and  then  we 
stopped  for  good  under  a hospitable  porch  full  of  red 
lanterns  and  smiling  faces.  Slowly  we  unpacked  our 
drenched  coverings,  and  crawled  out,  stiff  and  sore,  and 
mighty  glad  to  be  under  shelter  at  last.  Oh  the  com- 
fort of  the  sweet-smelling  matted  rooms,  with  their 
closed  shutters,  against  which  the  rain  beat  in  vain ! 
In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  our  good  Ogita 
and  the  servants  had  dry  things  unpacked,  the  wet 
wraps  carried  away,  a pretty  dinner-table  laid  out. 


bowing  and  bobbing 


28 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


with  a bright  lamp  and  fresh  flowers  to  cheer  us, 
and  food  and  wine  to  make  ns  forget  the  long  hun- 
gry day.  I felt  rather  like  the  forlorn  little  girl  in 
the  fairy  tale,  when  the  black  hillside  opened  and  the 
kind  gnomes  took  care  of  her  in  their  warm  earth-home. 

The  view  from  those  particular  rooms  is  rather  a 
celebrated  one ; so  I rose  and  looked  out  the  next 
morning  as  soon  as  the  maid  had  crept  round  the 
balconies  to  remove  the  amados,  the  friendly  outer 
shutters,  which  had  kept  out  the  rain  of  the  night. 
Alas!  it  was  the  rain  of  the  morning  too;  and  the  wide 
valley  below  us  and  the  great  mountams  of  Nikko  be- 
yond were  only  visible  in  shadowy  gradations  through 
the  wet  grey  veil  of  rain.  Not  for  this  were  they  less 
beautiful ; for  the  very  greyness  gives  the  outlines  more 
grandeur,  and  the  moving  film  of  rain,  now  lighter, 
now  heavier,  now  falling  straight  and  sharp,  now  driven 
slanting  up  the  valleys  by  a rush  of  the  breeze,  imparts 
a constant  play  of  expression  to  the  tear-stained  face 
of  Nature  which  it  can  never  wear  in  the  equalising 
gold  of  the  sunshine.  And  when  the  worst  is  over, 
and  the  rain  is  sucked  up  into  that  wonderful  mist 
of  Japan,  which  makes  and  unmakes  a hundred  sky- 
pictures  in  an  hour,  each  more  weird  and  ethereal 
than  the  last,  then  one  cannot  quarrel  with  the  rain. 
As  I stand  on  the  covered  balcony,  and  smell  the  dear 
wetness  of  the  earth  and  catch  a stray  drop  on  my 
cheek,  my  mind  goes  back  to  the  thirsty  lands  of 
earth,  — to  our  Roman  campagna,  burnt  purple-brown 
in  August,  and  too  scorching  to  touch  with  the  bare 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


29 


hand ; to  Chile,  where  every  tree  is  sere  by  midsummer, 
and  the  gasping  country  is  buried  in  its  own  dust  before 
its  ten  months’  drought  is  quenched  in  icy  rain;  to 
that  land  of  sand  and  ruin  and  gold,”  Pechili,  where 
a child  may  be  a year  old  before  the  rain  has  chris- 
tened it ; where  I used  to  go  and  sit  on  the  baked  hill- 
side by  our  temple  home  and  look  across  the  quivering 
plain  to  Peking  and — down  into  the  face  of  an  English 
baby  dying  of  the  heat.  And  I remember  there  came 
a day  when  I said  to  its  mother,  Take  courage ; if  it 
only  rains  to-night,  he  will  live ! Surely  that  is  a cloud 
in  the  south!”  And  the  rain  came  that  night,  and  the 
little  one  lived  — to  die  of  another  year’s  heat.  Ah, 
dear  rain,  it  is  not  I that  will  be  quarrelling  with  you 
this  day ! In  the  outer  life,  thank  God  for  the  kindly 
showers  that  temper  the  breeze  of  the  sunshine ; in 
the  inner,  thank  Him  still  more  for  the  grey  clouds 
of  anxiety  and  the  wholesome  tears  of  pain,  which  keep 
us  from  being  burnt  dry  and  hard  in  the  noonday  of 
our  prosperity. 

And  as  I finished  these  reflections  my  friend  came 
and  stood  by  my  side,  and  said,  Come,  it  is  lighter 
now;  let  us  go  and  have  a look  at  things.”  Then  we 
went  out  into  the  queer  terraced  town,  clinging  so 
closely  to  the  wall  of  the  hill  that  the  main-street  is  a 
staircase,  and  a steep  one  too.  From  it  the  side-streets 
branch  ofi,  herringbone-wise,  full  of  little  inns  where 
the  bathers  stay;  for  Ikao  has  hot  springs  (115°  F.), 
which  have  been  used  for  the  cure  of  many  diseases 
since  very  early  times,  and  which  still  attract  great 


30 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


numbers  of  Japanese  to  the  place.  The  town  is  built 
around  and  over  the  springs,  which  seem  to  bubble  up 
so  freely  in  this  volcanic  land,  sometimes  hot  and  strong, 
sometimes  weak  and  tepid,  but  everywhere  within  the 
reach  of  the'  sick  poor,  who  are  able  for  very  small  sums 
to  get  cures  which  in  Europe  are  costly  in  the  extreme. 
Here,  some  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  sea- 
level,  the  hot  jets  burst  out  of  the  green  mountain- 
side, and  the  little  town  has  had  to  accommodate  itself 
to  them.  The  long  street  of  stairs,  full  of  quaint  shops 
and  fluttering  signs,  ends  in  a tall  shaft  of  still  steeper 
steps  above  the  town ; and  these  are  crowned  by  a little 
temple,  with  stone  benches  before  it,  where  one  can  sit 
and  gaze  at  the  enormous  hills  across  the  sweep  of  the 
upland  valley.  The  temple  has  stone  lanterns,  which 
are  votive  offerings,  and  many  fluttering  banners,  which 
are  also  offerings,  though  of  a more  perishable  kind. 
At  the  foot  of  its  grey  steps  is  a little  terrace,  which 
is  all  one  iris  garden  in  full  bloom;  the  sun  suddenly 
shone  down  on  it  as  I looked,  and  a hundred  flowers, 
white  and  blue  and  royal  purple,  shook  out  flags  in 
the  mountain  breeze  which  came  fresh  and  sweet 
round  the  spur  of  the  hill  from  the  woods  beyond. 

The  breeze  seemed  to  be  showing  us  the  way;  so 
when  we  had  rested  a little,  we  left  the  temple,  and 
followed  a road  leading  towards  a deep  ravine  on  the 
right.  Here  a noisy  river  tears  down  over  boulders 
the  colour  of  rust,  for  the  water  is  rich  in  iron,  and 
coats  everything  exposed  to  it  with  a heavy  yellow 
layer;  but  the  level  walk  on  the  side  of  the  ravine  is 


WASHING  THE  HANDS  BEFORE  PRAYING  IN  THE  TEMPLE 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


33 


SO  thickly  wooded  that  the  stream  is  hidden  half  the 
time,  and  only  its  everlasting  song  comes  up  to  say  it 
is  there.  Slowly  we  went  on  into  the  green  heart  of 
the  hills,  the  path  overhung  by  deepest  woods  above, 
and  below,  plunging  down  in  sudden  precipices  to 
where  the  torrent  literally  boils  over  the  yellow  stones 
with  clouds  of  steam  and  hot  spray,  and  rushes  on  to 
turn  a huge  mill-wheel  in  the  gorge,  just  as  any  com- 
mon cold  stream  could  do ! But  up  on  the  path  all  is 
solitude  and  quiet,  and  it  seems  quite  fitting  to  come 
unawares  on  a little  shrine  with  a smiling  Buddha 
sitting  on  his  mat,  amid  countless  offerings  of  cups  and 
vases,  and  smaller  Buddhas  to  keep  him  company.  But 
Buddha  took  my  breath  away  by  smiling  benignantly 
right  into  my  eyes,  and  rocking  forward  on  his  base  in 
friendly  salutation.  Then  I saw  that  the  shrine  is  only 
a little  china  shop,  as  clean  and  silent  as  the  heart  of 
a flower,  and  apparently  about  as  distantly  connected 
with  money-making;  for  without  even  moving  from 
his  place,  Buddha  let  me  carry  off  an  exquisite  blue 
cup,  for  which  he  received  seven  cents,  and  seemed 
as  satisfied  as  if  I had  spent  seven  pounds  at  his  dainty 
shrine.  Beyond  him  the  road  became  suddenly  steeper, 
and  we  stood  for  a moment  gazing  up  its  green 
murmuring  arches,  broken  where  a glorious  white 
hydrangea  hung  out  a dancing  tent  of  blossom  over 
the  sun-flecked  path. 

At  the  end  of  the  path  is  an  inn,  with  baths  and 
many  patients ; and  one  can  buy  strange  specimens  of 
petrified  woods,  and  stone  cups  beautifully  polished. 


VOL.  II 


D 


34 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Here  there  is  a beautiful  network  of  bamboo  pipes, 
supported  on  tree  branches  or  wistaria  roots,  or  any- 
thing else  that  comes  bandy ; and  they  run  all  the 
way  down  the  valley  to  supply  the  di:fferent  hotels 
with  the  mineral  water ; and  in  the  stream  itself  lie 
strips  of  cotton,  which  are  left  there  until  they  have 
absorbed  enough  iron  to  turn  them  yellow,  and  are 
then  used  as  strength-giving  belts,  much  prized  by  the 
people. 

On  our  return  I think  we  must  have  entered  every 
shop  on  the  way.  In  one  we  bought  whole  pieces  of 
Ikao  cotton  crape,  a rough  heavy  fabric,  with  a bril- 
liant reddish-yellow  ground,  exactly  the  colour  of  the 
iron-coated  stones  in  the  stream  where  the  sun  touches 
them ; and  the  maker  had  the  stream  in  his  mind,  I 
know,  for  up  the  lengths  of  yellow  crape  against  the 
stream  swim  hundreds  of  vigorous  carp,  the  symbol  of 
persevering  fortitude,  amid  waves  and  clouds  dashed 
on  in  the  sharp  white  and  blue  of  a wdnter  morning. 
The  whole  mass  takes  one’s  breath  away  with  its 
rattling  bravura  of  colour,  and  the  eye  rests  gratefully 
on  a pile  of  grey-green  basket-work,  made  out  of 
wistaria  tendrils,  the  very  tint  of  the  twilight  woods 
imprisoned  in  the  meshes.  Then  there  is  pottery  of 
every  kind,  for  every  use,  but  almost  uniform  in  colour 
— the  colour  of  Ikao,  the  colour  of  rust  in  the  sun. 
There  is  a delight  which  I cannot  name  in  finding 
these  subtle  harmonies,  taken  for  granted  by  these 
people  who  are  still  close  to  the  knee  of  Nature,  but 
only  touched  by  chance  among  us,  who  have  forgotten 


I 


CHINA  SHOP 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


37 


our  nursery  lessons  in  the  dreary  board-school  of  life. 
I see  that  in  Japanese  eyes  I am  a barbarian  even  in 
my  buyings ; for  I take  a dozen  things  which  have 
nought  to  do  with  each  other,  and  Ogita  and  0’ Matsu 
look  gravely  disapproving  when  the  fairings  are  all 
tumbled  out  together  on  the  mats  of  my  little  sitting- 
room. 

There  is  another  walk  in  Ikao,  and  this  one  goes 
down  instead  of  up  the  hill,  and  is  quite  full  of  excite- 
ments. As  we  turned  down  it,  I saw  a quaint  group. 
A small  child  was  standing  stock  still  in  the  middle 
of  the  road,  with  her  back  towards  us ; her  hair, 
shaven  away  in  a neat_tonsure  on  the  top  of  her 
head,  fell  from  there  in  a straight  black  curtain  to  her 
shoulders;  her  fat  little  body  was  wrapped  in  a pale- 
blue  kimono ; and  in  one  hand  she  carried  a teapot, 
pale  blue  also,  and  swinging  by  its  wicker  handle. 
Evidently  she  had  been  sent  to  fetch  sake  or  hot 
water;  but  her  little  bare  feet  seemed  rooted  to  the 
ground,  and  she  was  gazing  with  silent  terror  into  the 
face  of  a terrible  beast  who  had  set  himself  down 
directly  in  front  of  her.  The  beast  was  a yellow 
mongrel  (Ikao  colour,  of  course),  who,  by  cocking  his 
ears  and  stretching  his  fore-legs  out  as  long  as  possible, 
had  brought  his  head  just  to  the  level  of  the  little 
maid’s,  and  was  looking  at  her  with  an  expression 
which  said  far  more  clearly  than  words : Yes,  my 

dear,  I am  a very  terrible  dog,  and  all  this  road  belongs 
to  me,  and  you  have  no  business  here  whatever;  but 
perhajjs  I won’t  eat  you  quite  up  this  time  — oh  ! oh  ! 


38 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Avlio  are  these  awful  creatures  ? ” One  sight  of  us  was 
enough  ; with  a long  howl,  the  terrible  dog  fled  down 
the  street,  and  the  little  girl  clutched  her  teapot,  and 
shrank  to  one  side  as  far  as  the  road  would  allow,  and 
looked  up  at  us  pitifully,  as  if  she  would  say:  You 

see,  the  dog  didn’t  eat  me ; I hope  you  won’t,  either ! ” 

So  w^e  went  on  quickly  to  set  her  mind  at  rest,  and 
came  on  a still  funnier  sight.  A little  bath-house,  with 
no  door,  close  to  the  road,  ^vas  sending  out  fumes  of 
steam  mixed  with  talk ; inside,  in  a space  not  more 
than  a yard  square,  three  dames  of  the  village,  with 
only  their  heads  above  water,  were  having  a good 
gossip.  On  the  edge,  among  the  discarded  clothing, 
lay  a baby,  trying  hard  to  wriggle  into  the  water  too. 
Of  course  all  the  heads  turned  to  have  a look  at  us ; 
two  of  the  ladies  hopped  out  of  the  water  like  frogs, 
and  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  bath  discussing  our  appear- 
ance, absolutely  untroubled  by  their  owm,  and  then 
hopped  in  again  for  another  dip.  • I saw  one  of  them 
walking  home  later,  with  most  of  her  clothes  under  one 
arm  and  the  baby  on  the  other.  There  is  so  much 
desinvoltura  about  Japanese  manners  ! 

Farther  ’ on  we  came  to  a bow-and-arrow  booth, 
where  the  owner  w^as  very  anxious  that  w^e  should 
have  a shot  at  the  painted  target ; but  we  were  much 
more  interested  in  a queer  grey  monkey,  tailless  as  a 
Japanese  cat,  wdio  was  jumping  about  as  far  as  his 
tether  would  let  him,  against  grey-green  rocks  the  very 
colour  of  himself.  He  too  saw  that  we  were  foreign 
monsters  of  some  kind,  and  showed  off  all  his  tricks 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


39 


and  then  flashed  his  fiery  red  face  and  human  eyes 
round  at  us  to  see  if  we  had  been  impressed  by  them, 
and  he  was  visibly  chagrined  when  we  moved  on.  At 
the  foot  of  the  hill  lives  a knotty  little  old  man,  who 
looks  as  if  he  had  been  made  out  of  dried  twigs.  His 
hair  stands  up  in  bristles  all  over  his  head,  his  eyes* 
dance  with  good  humour,  and  at  every  word  he  says, 
whether  he  means  it  or  not,  down  goes  his  head  to 
his  poor  old  knees  in  the  most  engaging  bow.  This 
is  because  he  keeps  a tea-house  with  two  splendid  fish- 
ponds ; and  his  business  is  to  come  out  into  the  road 
and  stop  the  travellers,  and  beg  them  to  come  into  his 
dirty  house,”  as  he  humbly  puts  it,  for  a little  tea 
and  some  good  fishing ; and  that  is  why  he  has  got 
into  such  a habit  of  bowing  that  he  could  not  stop  if 
he  would.  There  is  a little  old  woman  too ; but  she 
sits  inside  on  the  mats,  and  invitingly  pushes  cushions 
and  trays  of  tea  towards  you,  if  you  will  only  come 
near  enough.  I suppose  she  had  legs  once,  but  she 
must  have  sat  them  off  by  this  time,  for  she  never  gets 
up,  and  there  are  no  particular  signs  of  them  anywhere. 
The  ponds  are  too  delightful  to  be  passed  by.  There 
are  neat  benches  and  planked  footways  beside  them ; 
and  by  one  you  can  sit,  and  catch  gold  and  silver 
fish,  like  any  princess  in  a fairy  tale,  for  a few  cents 
an  hour;  by  the  other  you  may  also  sit,  and  watch 
how  the  great  fat  old  goldfish,  almost  as  big  as  carp, 
come  and  fight  for  the  cakes  that  are  thrown  in,  how 
they  shove  out  the  younger  ones,  and  kick  and  splash 
and  struggle  till  the  water  is  all  churned  up  and  the 


40 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPA^T 


biscuit  they  are  fighting  for  is  thrown  high  and  dry 
on  the  bank.  Then  the  fish  go  ofi  in  a rage,  and  the 
little  old  man  laughs  indulgently,  and  creeps  warily 
down  the  bank  and  throws  the  pink  biscuit  out  to  sea, 
and  the  comedy  begins  all  over  again.  We  were  not 
the  only  guests  at  the  inn  of  the  gold  and  silver  fish ; 
on  the  bench  by  the  pond  sat  a middle-aged  Japanese, 
in  European  dress.  He  was  gravely  catching  goldfish 
with  a thread  and  a bit  of  band^oo ; he  looked  in- 
tensely solemn,  and  frowned  visibly  when  we  laughed 
and  chattered  on  the  other  side  of  the  pond ; and  he 
dropped  the  take  ” with  great  care  into  his  best  top 
hat,  turned  upside  down  for  the  purpose. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


FROM  IKAO  TO  KARUIZAWA.  — THE  SILK  HARVEST.  — A 
REST  AT  IIZUKA.  — CLIMBING  UP  THE  PASS.  — A SEA 
OF  PEAKS.  — THE  PALACE  OF  PEACE.  — OUR  OWN 
POLICEMAN 


E left  Ikao  rather  regretfully,  and,  mindful  of 


past  experiences,  __yery  early  in  the  morning. 
The  road,  all  shining  in  the  early  sunshine,  did  not 
seem  to  be  the  same  one  up  which  we  had  toiled  in  rain 
and  darkness  two  weeks  ago.  The  valleys  were  green 
and  wet  below  us,  and  the  hills  beyond  towered  against 
a brilliantly  blue  sky  just  flecked  with  little  clouds  of 
dazzling  white.  The  banks  of  the  road  were  beautiful 
with  blue  lilies,  and  the  air  Avas  full  of  song-birds.  The 
Japanese  are  early  risers,  and  all  the  little  cottage  homes 
were  open  to  the  day;  in  almost  all,  the  business  of 
silk-spinning  was  going  forward,  for  this  is  the  time 
when  the  cocoons  are  ripe,  and  the  precious  threads 
must  be  saved  ere  the  moth  feels  his  wings  and  bites 
his  way  through  to  freedom. 

It  is  a pretty  sight,  when  the  little  brown  cottages 
are  full  of  piles  of  the  delicate  cocoons,  light  as  puff- 
balls, and  generally  a snowy  white,  or  soft  flaxen  colour, 
but  mingled  here  and  there  with  large  cocoons  of  a pale 


Karuizawa,  July,  1890. 


42 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


coarse  and  liea^y  kind,  and  cannot  be  used  with  other 
varieties.  The  work  of  reeling  off  the  thread  seems  to 
be  done  in  this  part  of  the  world  by  old  people,  who 
can  no  longer  do  rough  work  in  the  fields.  I passed 
one  cottage  after  another  where  an  old  man  or  woman, 
sometimes  an  aged  couple,  sat  on  the  ground  among 
piles  of  the  soft  white  balls,  reeling  off  the  silk  on  the 
roughest  kind  of  hand-wheel,  to  which  it  passes  from 
a little  trough  filled  with  hot  water,  constantly  renewed. 


yellowish  green,  the  production  of  a silkworm  who  lives 
on  a certain  species  of  wild  oak.  As  far  as  I could 
gather,  these  cocoons  are  collected  in  the  woods,  and 
the  worm,  if  reared  in  captivity,  takes  to  mulberry 
leaves,  and  becomes  small  and  tame  like  any  other 
silkworm.  But  this  may  be  only  a peasant  tradition. 
The  silk  reeled  from  these  greenish  cocoons  is  of  a 


SILK  REELING 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


43 


The  knotty  old  fingers  manipulate  the  strands  very  deli- 
cately ; but  the  reeled  thread  is  full  of  knots  and  in- 
equalities, and  could  only,  I should  think,  be  used  for 
inferior  silks.  Even  in  that  form  it  is  valuable,  and 
the  old  people’s  little  crop  will  probably  go  far  towards 
maintaining  them  for  the  rest  of  the  year. 

As  we  descended  into  the  plain,  the  cottages  were 
scattered  more  thickly  along  the  road,  and  we  passed 
through  village  streets  where  every  house  was  full  of 
cocoon  piles,  making  the  effect  of  snowxlrifts  sw^ept 
back  from  the  road  into  the  houses.  We  w^ere  making 
for  lizuka,  a station  a little  farther  up  the  line  than 
Takaski,  from  which  we  could  do  an  hour  or  so  of 
railway-travelling  in  the  direction  of  Karuizawa  before 
taking  to  chairs  and  jinrikshas  again.  We  had  found 
some  firstrate  chair-coolies  in  Ikao,  and  they  carried 
me  down  the  hilly  roads  at  a swinging  trot,  and  with 
none  of  the  misery  which  had  attended  the  - upward 
journey.  But  the  heat  was  intense  as  soon  as  we 
reached  the  plain,  and  no  words  can  describe  how 
grateful  and  refreshing  w^as  the  hospitality  of  the 
pretty  tea-house  at  lizuka,  where  we  had  an  hour’s  rest 
before  our  train  could  pass.  The  little  upper  rooms, 
cool,  matted,  open  on  every  side  to  the  air  under  the 
wide  verandah  roof,  seemed  luxuriously  spacious  and 
quiet ; from  the  eaves  hung  fern-wreaths  grown  in 
quaint  shapes  on  wistaria  roots,  each  one  having  a 
small  glass  bell  fastened  to  it,  and  a bit  of  paper  with 
a word  or  two  of  poetry  dangling  from  the  bell.  The 
lightest  puff  of  breeze  sets  the  paper  moving,  and  then 


44 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


the  bell  speaks  in  a little  musical  tinkle  like  the  sound 
of  running  water.  Our  hostess  brought  up  a fairy  meal 
of  strawberries  and  scraped  ice  and  lemonade;  and 
O’ Matsu  brought  a fan,  and  kept  the  air  cool  while  we 
tasted  it.  By  the  time  the  train  steamed  up,  we  had 
forgotten  the  heat  and  weariness  of  the  morning,  and 
started  out  refreshed  for  the  second  part  of  our  journey. 
This  stage  brought  us  as  far  as  Yokukawa,  a town  nest- 
ling close  in  at  the  foot  of  the  Usui  Pass,  which  leads 
up  into  the  great  dividiug  range,  the  central  Alps  of 
Japan. 

Yokukawa  is  demoralised  by  the  railway  and  tram 
traffic,  and  has  very  little  that  is  picturesque  about  it. 
The  railway  stops  here,^  and  the  traveller  is  carried  on 
into  the  hills  by  a crazy  tram  service,  composed  of  tiny 
carriages  drawn  by  broken-down  horses,  up  a road  which 
is  washed  away  by  rain  or  whelmed  in  landslips  at  least 
once  a week.  When  the  cars  are  not  thrown  off  the 
line,  they  jump  about  so  alarmingly  that  the  unfortu- 
nate passengers  are  black  and  blue  by  the  time  they 
reach  Karuizawa;  altogether,  the  journey  was  consid- 
ered too  sensational  for  me,  and  the  Ikao  coolies  had 
been  brought  on  to  carry  me  up  the  pass.  Some  of 
the  party  were  in  jinrikshas,  which  can  follow  the 
tramway  line ; but  for  me  there  was  the  delightful 
luxury  of  a long  chair  ride  through  shady  paths  up 
wooded  steeps,  where  the  tendrils  of  the  creepers 
brushed  my  face,  and  the  delicate  woodsy  smell  of 

1 The  railway  is  now  (1898)  completed,  and  connects  Yokukawa  with 
Shin-Karuizawa. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


45 


fern  and  pine,  wistaria  and  hydrangea,  came  in  waves 
out  of  the  solemn  greennesses  of  the  forest.  Now  and 
then  we  stopped,  that  the  men  might  rest  at  one  of 
those  tiny  brown  dwellings  scattered  like  empty  chest- 
nut burrs  along  the  path ; always  planted  near  a stream 
or  a trickling  waterfall,  with  perhaps  the  virgin  rock 
for  a background,  they  consist  of  one  tiny  room  open 
to  the  woods,  with  a bench  for  the  pilgrim  to  rest  on, 
a low-burning  fire  to  make  his  tea  over,  and  a few 
scrupulously  clean  blue  cups  and  bowls  to  serve  it  in. 
And  how  refreshing  the  Japanese  tea  is ! One  of  our 
party  had  followed  me  on  foot,  and  was  glad  enough 
of  the  pale  gold-coloured  liquid  steaming  in  its  tiny 
cups.  It  quenches  thirst  far  better  than  any  of  our 
luxurious  iced  drinks,  and  gives  just  the  amount  of 
nerve  stimulant  needed  during  long  walks  in  the  heat. 
The  perfume  is  faint  and  fine,  and  has  become  so  con- 
nected with  our  roamings  in  Japan  that,  no  matter  how 
many  years  had  passed,  it  would  instantly  bring  back 
to  me  the  house  in  the  forest  or  by  the  roadside,  the 
kind  brown  faces,  the  balmy  air,  the  luminous  white- 
ness of  the  Eastern  day. 

The  woods  were  left  behind  at  last,  and  from  their 
cloistered  depths  we  came  out  on  the  ridges  where  not 
a landscape  but  a universe  seemed  to  sink  away  from 
below  our  feet,  in  a wash  of  warm  silver  and  green 
gold,  filmed  with  a network  of  rivers  that  flowed  on 
from  our  mountains,  in  ribbons  of  level  light,  towards 
the  hazy  glories  of  the  plain.  One  knew  not  which 
way  to  look;  that  one  supreme  moment  of  a summer 


46 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


day  had  come,  when  every  tint  is  purified  to  a jewel- 
like perfection,  every  dell  is  mantled  in  living  velvet, 
every  rock  leaps  into  amethyst  flame,  every  pool  is  a 
piece  of  heaven,  and  the  sunshine  is  over  all,  a swim- 
ming haze  of  gold,  tender  and  radiant  and  warm  as  the 
very  tears  of  happiness. 

I cannot  name  the  sea  of  peaks  which  rose  behind 
and  before  us.  As  the  summer  goes  on,  they  will  become 
individually  familiar  to  me,  no  doubt ; but  on  this  first 
day  their  greatness  and  their  multiplicity  were  too  over- 
whelming for  me  to  even  ask  their  names.  Thousands 
of  feet  above  the  dreaming  plain,  arrested  in  the  cisterns 
of  the  hills,  a sea  of  wildly  tossing  breakers,  the  white 
horses  of  the  hurricane  must  have  been  caught  and 
changed  to  stone  at  the  stormiest  moment  of  their 
splendid  play.  Empty  as  the  ocean  hollows,  barren  as 
the  breaker’s  crest,  sharp-edged  as  the  north  wind’s 
bite — ah!  what  can  ever  j)ut  before  you  all  that  I saw 
that  day,  as  I stood  on  the  mountain’s  ridge  between 
heaven  and  earth,  watching  the  fires  of  the  sunset  kiss 
the  cold  crags  they  could  never  warm  to  life  ? 

We  dared  not  linger  long,  for  the  night  would  fall 
chill  in  the  hills  after  such  a burning  day.  We  let  our 
men  rest  for  a little  in  the  inn  of  the  village  which 
crowns  the  Usui  Toge,  a poor  grey  village,  with  a 
temple  to  keep  watch  over  the  pilgrims  who  pass 
through  it  in  the  summer-time.  There  are  broad  stone 
steps  to  the  temple,  and  from  there  the  view  is  glori- 
ous ; if  the  contemplation  of  beauty  conduces  to  holi- 
ness, then  its  priest  should  be  a very  holy  man.  His 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


47 


son,  a lad  of  ten,  who  stood  leaning  against  the  gate, 
watching  us  with  bold  bright  eyes,  is  the  black  sheep  of 
the  village ; and  we  were  told  sad  stories  of  his  pranks 
by  the  innkeeper,  at  which  the  boy  laughed  defiantly. 
He  will  not  go  to  school,  and  sometimes  tears  down  the 
goliei,  or  white  prayer  papers,  which  pious  souls  hang 
up  with  straw  ropes  at  the  temple  gate ; he  tears  his 
clothes,  and  loses  his  father’s  books ; but  the  worst  of 
all  his  sins  is  that  he  plays  practical  jokes  on  that 
sacred  person,  his  paternal  grandmother ! Once  he 
killed  her  cat ; another  day  he  nailed  a dead  crow  to 
the  shutters  of  her  hous^,  and  then  called  her  out  in 
a hurry,  saying  that  a beautiful  procession  was  going 
by.  Altogether  the  village  seems  to  have  little  hope 
of  the  young  reprobate,  and  agree  in  thinking  that  it  is 
a sair  dispensation  for  the  meenister ! ” 

From  the  top  of  the  pass  we  descended  quickly  and 
easily  for  a little  way,  and  then  stood  for  a few  min- 
utes to  gaze  at  Asama  Yama,  the  great  active  volcano 
which  dominates  all  this  side  of  the  hills,  and  has 
more  than  once  filled  the  upland  plain  of  Karuizawa 
with  ashy  desolation.  It  rises  very  grandly  from  beyond 
the  green  foothills,  looking  far  nearer  than  it  really  is. 
Heavy  clouds  of  smoke  pour  from  the  crater,  which 
looks  from  Karuizawa  towards  the  south-west,  and  takes 
the  form  of  a 'horizontal  tunnel  into  the  mountain,  as 
I am  told.  From  that  point  on  the  pass  there  is  a 
wonderful  evening  effect,  as  the  sun  sinks  almost  behind 
the  peak  and  rims  its  heavy  clouds  of  smoke  with  crim- 
son and  gold.  We  lost  it  as  we  plunged  into  the  deep- 


48 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


cut  paths  below ; and  when  at  last  we  reached  our  own 
boundaries,  the  grey  twilight  calm  was  hushing  the 
hills  to  rest. 

And  now  I am  writing  in  the  most  lovely  study  in 
the  world.  Over  my  head  the  pine  branches  meet  in 
arches  of  kindly  green ; the  pillars  of  my  hall  are  warm 
brown  trunks,  roughened  in  mystic  runes  by  the  sun 
and  the  wind,  and  full  of  sweet  gums  that  catch  and 
cling  to  my  hand  if  I lay  it  against  the  bark ; underfoot 
a hundred  layers  of  pine  needles  have  been  weaving  a 
carpet  so  elastic  that  the  weariest  foot  must  press  it 
lightly ; and,  lest  I should  want  for  music,  a stream, 
deep-running  between  hedges  of  wild  clematis  and  white 
hydrangea  and  crowding  wistaria  tangle,  sings  a cool 
tune  near  by,  while  the  hum  of  happy  insects  in  the 
air  sounds  the  high  note  of  noon,  the  hot  Eastern  noon, 
when  every  bird  is  still. 

Very,  very  early  this  morning  I crept  to  the  veran- 
dah of  my  bedroom,  and  pushed  aside  the  amado  and 
looked  out,  down  the  green  depths  of  my  woodsy  gar- 
den, across  the  foothills  below  us  to  the  plain  beyond, 
dreaming  and  blue  still  in  the  virginal  lights  of  the 
dawn.  Near  by,  on  either  side,  the  forest  spread  from 
our  little  clearing,  up  and  up  to  the  summits  of  the 
hills  that  guard  us  on  the  left.  On  the  right  it  rolled 
more  gradually  to  the  foot  of  a green  wall,  up  whose 
sides  some  rocky  steps  lead  to  what  must  be  a shrine ; 
I can  see  figures  cut  in  the  rock,  and  a seat  below,  and 
a green  bough  waving  far  out  from  some  crevice  above. 
All  was  still  and  silent,  as  if  just  created  and  waiting 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


49 


for  the  breath  of  life  to  be  infused  by  the  Creator. 
Then,  as  the  silence  became  too  intense  to  be  borne, 
one  liquid  rippling  note  rang  out  of  the  sleeping  woods 
in  a burst  of  joy,  so  breathless,  so  triumphant  that  it 
might  have  come  from  the  gates  of  paradise.  When 
it  ceased,  the  clear  vibrations  still  went  ringing  up 
through  the  bills ; and  in  a moment  the  answer  thrilled 
back  from  the  distant  groves  below  the  lonely  shrine. 
I do  not  know  bow  long  I stood  listening;  it  was  one 
of  those  moments  in  life  which  mark  an  epoch,  when 
time  has  no  value  and  identity  is  forgotten.  I know 
that  all  the  other  birds  listened  as  silently  as  I until 
my  Lord  and  Lady  Nightingale  had  finished  their 
golden  matins,  and  that  when  other  songs  broke  forth, 
and  the  sun  touched  the  hilltops  to  life,  I turned  away 
satisfied  with  beauty,  one  more  hour  of  perfect  happi- 
ness added  to  that  rich  inheritance  of  which  no  future 
grief  or  privation  can  ever  rob  me. 

We  have  named  our  summer  home  the  Palace  of 
Peace ; for  though  it  is  close  to  the  only  track  leading 
up  the  pass,  it  is  wrapped  in  green  seclusion.  The  vil- 
lage— there  is  a village  — is  not  seen  till  you  have 
passed  out  at  the  foot  of  our  garden,  between  the  pine 
trees  that  guard  the  gate,  across  two  streams  bridged 
somewhat  shakily,  and  down  a bit  of  road  that  turns 
with  the  turning  hillside.  Then,  indeed,  a few  houses 
are  seen;  and  if  you  go  on,  a long  poor  street  winds 
away  before  you,  reaches  another  bridge,  and  passes 
thence  among  the  wild  flowers  of  the  plain,  which 
stretches  its  level  for  many  miles,  bordered  on  either 


VOL.  II 


do 


LETTI^RS  FKOM  JAPAK 


hand  by  beautiful  green  mountains,  itself  more  than 
three  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  plain  we  see 
from  our  windows ; but  not  a single  roof-tree  breaks 
the  enchanting  sense  of  solitude.  Our  house  is  a 
Japanese  one,  two-storied,  built  of  wood,  with  deep 
galleries  running  round  both  floors,  the  upper  one 
protected  by  wide  eaves,  and  also  by  glazed  screens  in- 
stead of  the  usual  paper  slides ; so  that  even  in  very 
bad  weather  we  need  not  shut  out  the  light  by  closing 
the  wooden  shutters,  as  people  have  to  do  usually  in 
Japanese  houses. 

The  inner  walls  are  also  of  glass,  where  they  look 
on  the  verandah.'  The  dividing  ones  between  the  rooms 
are  papered,  and  can  be  removed  at  will ; so  that  we 
can  have  one  very  huge  apartment  or  several  small 
ones,  according  to  taste  and  fancy.  All  the  glass  walls 
have  in  their"  turn  curtains  of  heavy  mosqidto  netting, 
which  fall  from  ceiling  to  floor,  with  a slit  here  and 
there  to  allow  of  passing  through ; and  they  both  keep 
out  the  insects,  and  ensure  a certain  amount  of  privacy. 
There  is  just  room  for  ourselves  and  two  of  the  sta:ff, 
they  occupying  one  verandah  and  we  the  other ; while 
servants’  quarters  and  offices  go  meandering  back  some- 
where into  the  heart  of  the  hill,  whence  an  ingenious 
system  of  bamboo-tubing  supplies  all  the  bathrooms 
(one  to  every  room  in  the  delightfully  civilized  Eastern 
fashion),  as  well  as  the  dinner-table,  with  the  purest, 
freshest  water  I have  ever  tasted.  It  wells  right  out 
of  the  rock,  and  the  servants  bring  the  bottles  down 
all  misty  and  impearled  with  the  coldness  of  it. 


and  asleep 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


53 


Of  course  all  the  rooms  are  matted,  and  a recess 
under  the  lowest  stair  holds  our  house-slippers.  When 
we  come  in  from  a Avalk,  everybody  sits  down  on  the 
outer  step  of  the  verandah,  the  servants  run  out  with 
our  clean  slippers  in  hand,  and  not  until  they  are 
donned  do  we  tread  on  the  delicate 
mats.  These  are  so  fine  and  soft  that 
I constantly  sit  on  them  instead  of  in 
my  chair ; and  in  warm  weather  they 
are  delightful  to  sleep  on,  cool,  resisting, 
and  yet  elastic.  There  are  chairs  of 
all  sorts  of  pretty  rustic  patterns ; the 
whole  furniture  of  my  bedroom  is  made 
in  matting  set  in  soft  grey  bark,  the 
original  untouched  tree ; the  mirror 
frame  is  a lovely  setting  of  twigs,  the 
table  legs  the  slender  boughs  of  sap- 
lings,— all  this  being  the  idea  of  the 
Japanese  carpenter  who  made  the  fur- 
niture, and  who  thought  I would  like 
to  have  something  in  harmony  with  the 
woods  around.  Everywhere  is  the  smell  of  sweet  new 
planks  and  fresh  grass  blinds  and  the  murmur  of 
streams  and  pine  woods,  and  — it  is  heavenly  cool ! 
We  can  use  a blanket  at  night,  and  I am  wearing 
light  flannel  dresses  in  the  afternoon. 

As  we  sat  on  the  verandah  in  delightful  repose  on 
the  evening  of  our  arrival,  a dancing  light  appeared  at 
the  far  end  of  the  garden,  and  came  slowly  nearer 
until  it  resolved  itself  into  a bobbing  lantern,  which 


54 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


roused  our  five  dogs  to  one  defiant  howl.  The  lantern- 
bearer  paused,  then  found  courage  to  approach,  and  a 
gorgeous  person  in  white  uniform,  white  gloves,  and  a 
good  deal  of  gold  about  him,  slowly  loomed  on  our 
astonished  sight,  and  stopped  at  the  verandah-step  with 
a military  bow.  This  was  our  special  policeman,  under 
whose  charge  we  are  to  be  for  the  summer.  He  held 
out  a piece  of  paper  towards  us,  exclaiming,  My 

card ! ” Then  he  looked  at  H . You  — Minister  ? ” 

he  inquired ; and  when  H nodded,  he  proceeded  to 

explain  that  he  had  been  sent  up  from  Nagano  to  look 
after  us,  and  that  he  should  carry  out  his  orders  with 
vigilance  and  zeal.  The  English  was  very  queer,  and 
ground  out  a word  at  a time ; but  he  would  not  be 

helped,  and  was  rather  offended  when  Mr.  G 

addressed  him  in  fluent  Japanese.  His  parting  saluta- 
tion was  original : Please  ! Receive  ! Sleej) ! ” Then 

he  left  us,  and  he  and  his  lantern  bobbed  off  into  the 
darkness  again.  He  is  quartered  in  the  village,  and  I 
hear  takes  advantage  of  his  special  mission  to  swagger 
fearfully  among  his  colleagues  and  compatriots. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


“IN  THE  DAWN  OF  TIME.” — THE  STAR  LOVERS  AND  THEIR 
STORY.  — THE  PITIFUL  HISTORY  OF  O SHO  KUNG 


IHE  evenings  are  almost  as  enchanting  as  the  morn- 


ings in  this  July  weather.  We  sit  out  till  very 
late,  watching  the  stars  shining  through  the  clear  air 
as  they  never  shine  for  us  when  we  are  on  the  plain. 
Our  green  lawnlet  (the  turf  was  brought  bit  by  bit 
from  a great  distance,  and  is  growing  beautifully  now) 
slopes  down  to  a pond  where  the  stars  all  find  their 
doubles  on  these  still  nights ; and  that  reminds  me 
that  this  is  the  month  of  the  Star  Lovers,  and  that  I 
must  tell  you  their  story  — a story  so  old  that  it  came 
to  Japan  two  thousand  five  hundred  years  ago,  when 
Cyrus  reigned  in  Persia,  when  Rome  was  a collection 
of  huts  in  a wolf-haunted  swamp,  when  the  family  of 
the  kings  reigned  in  purple  and  gold  among  the  vines 
and  poppies  of  Etruria.  Japan  was  then  standing,  as 
it  were,  at  the  knees  of  China ; and  this  is  the  tale 
which  the  teacher  told  her  in  some  July  twilight  — 
the  tale  of  the  seventh  night  of  the  seventh  moon,  the 
story  of  the  festival  called  Tana-Bata. 

In  the  dawn  of  time,  before  the  immortal  gods  had 


Karuizawa,  July,  1890. 


55 


56 


LETTEES  EKOM  JAEAK 


descended  to  earth,  the  Sky  Father,  the  Emperor  of 
Heaven,  had  one  daughter,  so  beautiful  that  even  Ama- 
terasu,  the  sun-goddess,  seemed  dark  beside  her,  and 
so  skilful  that  she  wove  all  the  garments  for  the  Court 
of  Heaven  — garments  of  mist  all  dew-impearled.  State 
robes  of  sunshine  dazzling  as  the  light,  veils  of  rosy 
film,  and  mantles  of  night-black  velvet  showered  with 
diamond  stars.  There  was  no  other  weaver  who  could 
spin  such  threads  or  weave  such  webs  in  all  the  heavenly 
family,  and  she  sat  always  at  her  golden  loom,  glad 
and  content  with  her  fair  task,  and  asking  no  more 
than  to  sit  there  always,  because  she  knew  not  love; 
and  they  called  her  Shokucho,  the  weaver  of  the  skies, 
but  we  call  her  Yega. 

Now  seeing  how  fair  and  wise  she  was,  many  of  the 
gods  came  asking  for  Shokucho  to  wife ; but  she  loved 
none  of  them,  and  the  Emperor  of  Heaven  was  glad 
to  keep  her,  and  sent  them  all  away,  saying,  My 
daughter  is  wedded  to  her  golden  loom ! No  other 
husband  does  her  heart  desire.”  And  the  other  gods 
laughed  and  jeered,  saying,  Truly  the  Princess  Sho- 
kucho is  a slave,  and  not  a goddess ! Except  she 
marry,  will  she  not  grow  old  ? Except  she  love,  how 
can  she  keep  her  immortality  ? A cruel  father  art 
thou  to  her  ! ” For  it  is  well  known  that  even  a god- 
dess will  not  gain  eternity  except  she  have  loved,  since 
the  birth  of  love  is  the  birth  of  her  spirit,  which  may 
not  die.  And  the  Sky  Father,  Tin,  Tenshii  Sama, 
Dyaus  Piter,  pondered  as  he  sat  on  his  throne  in  the 
sunrising ; and  he  drew  his  fingers  through  his  beard. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


57 


which  was  long  and  white  as  the  autumn  moonbeams, 
and  he  said,  The  gods  speak  truth,  young  and  tur- 
bulent though  they  be.  Shokucho  must  love,  or  she 
will  pass  with  the  warp  of  the  sunshine  and  decay 
with  the  woof  of  the  dawn.  Now  where  shall  we  find 
a husband  so  fair  that  she  may  love  him,  so  obscure 
that  he  dare  not  carry  her  away?” 

Then  his  eyes  fell  on  a goodly  herdsman,  driving  his 
cattle  in  the  heavenly  plain.  His  countenance  was  lordly, 
but  his  raiment  was  poor,  and  he  followed  his  white  oxen 
with  slow  contented  feet  in  the  starry  meadows;  and  in 
our  earth  he  is  known  as  a child  of  Aquila. 

The  Emperor  of  Heaven  said  to  .his  daughter. 
Princess,  seest  thou  yon  herdsman,  tall  and  straight 
as  the  reed  that  groweth  in  water?” 

Yea,  father,”  said  the  Princess,  I have  looked 
on  him  once ; and  lest  my  eyes  should  be  blinded  by 
his  beauty  and  my  heart  burnt  with  vain  desire,  I have 
looked  no  more.  My  golden  loom  and  my  jewel-weaving 
seem  dark  to  me  now.” 

^^That  is  well,”  said  the  Sky  Father,  ‘^for  Kenkyo 
shall  be  thy  husband.” 

Then  Shokucho  was  so  happy  that  she  laid  her 
head  on  her  golden  work  and  wept  for  joy,  and  her 
tears  fell  through  its  sunshine  and  made  the  first 
rainbow ; and  that  very  day  she  wed  the  herdsman 
Kenkyo,  who  had  loved  her  so  long  that  he  could  say 
but  one  word,  her  name. 

And  there  was  rejoicing  in  the  Courts  of  Heaven, 
because  Shokucho  had  earned  her  immortality ; and 


58 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


she  herself  cared  little  for  immortality  while  Kenkyo 
sat  by  her  side,  and  said  • her  name  again  and  again, 
and  found  other  words  to  tell  her  how  he  loved  her. 
Neither  did  she  care  for  her  weaving  any  more;  still 
stood  the  golden  shuttles  of  the  loom,  and  still  stood 
Kenkyo’ s white  steers,  not  knowing  their  way  to  pasture, 
and  wondering  that  their  master  led  them  thither  no 
more.  The  herdsman  forgot  his  herding,  the  weaver 
Princess  forgot  her  weaving,  and  each  could  think 
only  of  the  other  in  the  July  starlight. 

Then  the  Sky  Father  was  exceedingly  angry,  and 
he  said  to  Kenkyo,  Presumptuous  herdsman,  had  I 
known  thou  wouldst  stop  my  daughter’s  weaving,  never 
would  I have  given  her  to  thee  to  wife!  Begone  to 
the  other  bank  of  the  heavenly  river,  the  Ama  no  gawa, 
the  milky  stream  1 Not  till  a year  has  passed  shalt 
thou  embrace  Shokucho  again ! ” 

Then  a great  eagle  came  and  lifted  Kenkyo  in  his 
claws,  and  set  him  down  on  the  farther  side  of  the  river 
that  runs  so  wide  and  white  through  the  blue  meadows 
of  Heaven,  and  his  kine  swam  after  him  across  the 
stream ; but  Shokucho  w^as  left  wringing  her  hands, 
as  she  knelt  on  the  bank,  and  weeping  bitter  tears. 

‘‘Back  to  thy  weaving,  daughter,”  said  Tenshu  Sama, 
“ and  still  thy  foolish  griqf  1 In  a year  from  to-day 
thou  shalt  have  one  night  by  thy  herdsman’s  side.” 

So  slowly  and  sadly  Shokucho  went  back  to  her 
loom,  and  sat  there  working  silently  till  twelve  moons 
had  waxed  and  waned ; and  every  beating  of  her  heart 
was  a cry  of  love  for  Kenkyo.  And  poor  Kenkyo 


LETTEKS  FROJr  JAPAN 


59 


THE  GENTLE  BIRDS 


looked  across  the  river  from  where  his  kine  stood  knee 
deep  in  celestial  pasturage  — looked  to  where  Shokncho 
sat  in  the  heart  of  the  light  that  glowed  from  the  loom, 
white  or  crimson  or  green  as  she  flung  in  threads  of 
jewels.  And  at  last  the  seventh  night  of  the  seventh 
moon  came  round,  and  the  shuttle  stopped  of  itself, 
and  the  Milky  Way  began  to  part  that  the  lovers  might 
meet  dry  shod.  But  there  came  a strong  rustling  of 
wings  in  the  air,  and  it  was  suddenly  darkened  with 
myriads  of  gentle  birds,  magpies  who  had  grieved  for 
the  poor  lovers ; and  they  hung  in  air,  wing  to  wing 
and  beak  to  beak,  till  they  made  a bridge  from  side  to 
side  of  the  Milky  River ; and  Kenkyo  rushed  across,  and 
met  Shokncho  and  clasped  her  in  his  arms,  and  for  one 
short  summer  night  the  Star  Lovers  were  united.  But 
at  the  next  dawn  Kenkyo  had  to  leave  his  beloved, 
and  wait  through  twelve  months  more  before  he  might 
speak  to  her  again.  She  comes  to  the  white  river’s 
bank  night  after  night,  and  stretches  out  her  arms  to 


60 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


him,  and  calls  his  name ; and  he,  seeing  her  also, 
stretches  out  longing  arms  towards  her;  but  because 
of  the  wide  impetuous  torrent  neither  can  hear  the 


LEFT  ALONE 


other  speak,  — till  this  magic  night.  The  magpies 
never  forget  them ; the  bridge  of  Kasa-saji,  built  of 
gleaming  wings,  always  spans  the  flood ; and  their  great 
love  makes  them  forget  in  this  one  night  of  happiness 
all  the  weary  waiting  of  the  year. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


61 


So  Sliokucho  and  Kenkyo  are  the  patrons  of  all 
separated  lovers,  of  all  faithful  husbands  and  wives  to 
whom  ai:>sence  teaches  a higher  love,  a harder  con- 
stancy. On  this  night  a hungry  heart  may  pray  for 
the  sweet  food  of  love,  in  certain  hope  of  receiving  an 
answer  to  its  prayer ; happy  lovers  invoke  the  lovers 
in  the  sky  to  protect  them  from  change  or  bereave- 
ment, and  offer  tender  sympathy  to  those  for  whom 
this  night’s  meeting  means  a year  of  separation ; the 
widow  commends  to  them  the  soul  of  her  dead  hus- 
band ; the  woman  left  alone  in  the  little  home  entreats 
protection  for  the  dear  one  who  is  forced  to  take  a 
lonely  journey ; the  maidens  pray  for  skill  in  rare 
embroidery,  and  put  their  work  under  the  weaver’s 
patronage.  All  pray  that  it  may  not  rain  on  this 
night ; for  if  it  rains,  the  river  overflows,  and  the 
heavenly  lovers  may  not  meet.  The  poets  make  many 
a poem  on  love,  and  their  sonnets  are  written  on 
beautiful  poem-papers,  painted  with  flowers  and  pow- 
dered with  gold,  which  the  young  people  tie  on  the 
branches  of  two  leafy  bamboos,  such  as  are  set  up  in 
every  garden  on  this  night.  The  fight  breeze  makes 
the  poems  flutter  airily  among  the  leaves,  and  then  it 
passes  on  to  where  in  the  open  room  a large  party 
of  young  people  sit  together  on  the  mats,  feasting  on 
flowery  sweets,  and  drinking  their  perfumed  tea,  while 
one  after  another  repeats  some  verse  of  a poem,  or 
sings  it  to  the  humming  accompaniment  of  the  sami- 
sen ; then  games  are  played,  shadow  games  behind  the 
screens,  or  hide-and-seek  in  and  out  of  the  simple 


62 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


home,  and  the  elaborate  garden,  with  its  trees  and 
stepping-stones  and  bridges,  its  fairy  dells  and  toy 
mountains,  till  the  air  is  full  of  the  laughter  of  young 


SHADOW  GAMES 


voices,  the  flutter  of  flying  draperies,  the  joyous  life- 
measure  marked  by  young  feet  as  the  boys  and  girls 
chase  one  another  down  the  dusky  paths. 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


63 


There  is  a storv  of  another  Sho,  who  is  called  in 
Japan  0 Sho  Knng,  the  remaining  syllables,  whether  in 
this  name  or  that  of  the  Star  Weaver,  being  mere 


SHADOW  GAMES 


affixes  denoting  rank  or  age ; in  Japan,  Ko  or  Cho  is 
usually  added  to  a girl’s  name  in  her  own  family  as 
long  as  she  is  very  young.  The  story  of  0 Sho  Kung 


64 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


properly  belongs  to  September ; but  I will  tell  it  to 
you  here  since  it  is  in  my  mind.  I learnt  it  from  a 
strange  little  picture  that  I have,  and  whose  meaning, 
though  touching  some  distant  point  in  my  memory, 
remained  unexplained  till  a Japanese  friend  told  me 
that  it  referred  to  a Clhnese  story,  and  as  he  told  it 
I began  to  remember.  The  picture  is  a delicately 
coloured  print  representing  a young  girl,  slender  and 
pale  and  richly  dressed,  wearing  an  expression  of  horror 
and  despair.  She  is  seated  on  a horse,  which  ambles 
on  amid  a group  of  fierce  and  hairy  Mongols,  whose 
faces  are  of  a deep  reddish  brown;  hands  and  faces  are 
covered  with  bristles,  and  they  wear  the  unmistakable 
look  of  the  rough  dirty  Tartar  of  to-day.  One  of 
them  walks  beside  the  horse,  and  holds  the  poor 
shrinking  girl  in  her  place ; the  captain,  recognisable 
by  his  richer  dress,  stands  at  one  side,  with  his  arms 
crossed  and  a hideous  scowl  on  his  countenance ; his 
underlings  are  evidently  rejoicing  at  the  beautiful  prize 
so  roughly  carried  away. 

That,  said  my  friend,  is  a picture  of  the  lady 
0 Sho  Kung,  and  her  story  is  a very  sad  one.  Many 
centuries  ago,  when  the  Han  dynasty  was  ruling  in 
China,  the  Emperor  was  obliged  to  give  many  rich 
presents  to  the  Khan  of  Mongolia,  who,  instead  of  re- 
turning them,  would  constantly  break  across  the  frontier 
and  take  far  more  than  the  Emperor  cared  to  give  him. 
However,  he  was  just  then  so  much  the  stronger  that 
it  was  useless  to  think  of  resistance.  The  Khan  had 
heard  that  the  Chinese  Court  was  full  of  beautiful 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


G5 


ladies,  and  lie  tlionglit  it  would  be  a fine  thing  to  have 
a wife  from  hence ; so  he  sent  a great  embassy  to  the 
Emperor,  asking  for  a beautiful  Princess  to  be  the 
Khan’s  wife.  The  Emperor  was  very  angry  at  the  pre- 
sumption of  the  barbarian,  and  could  not  reconcile 
himself  to  the  idea  that  a Princess  of  his  family  should 
fill  such  a position.  However,  he  seems  to  have  an- 
swered the  envoys  politely,  and  only  begged  for  a little 
time,  so  that  he  might  indeed  select  the  most  beautiful 
Princess  in  China  to  be  the  consort  of  the  Khan. 
Then  the  messengers  were  feasted,  and  had  many 
presents  given  to  them,  and  managed  to  pass  the  time 
very  pleasantly  while  the  Emperor  in  the  seclusion 
of  the  Palace  pondered  as  to  what  should  be  done. 

Seeing  his  trouble,  the  Empress-Mother  came  to  him, 
and  said,  Let  not  the  Son  of  Heaven  be  cast  down ! 
No  Imperial  Princess  shall  be  sent  to  this  barbarian. 
Let  us  now  choose  a Court  lady,  skilled  and  beautiful, 
and  let  us  send  her  to  the  Mongol!” 

And  the  Emperor  saw  that  it  was  good  counsel, 
and  very  quickly  the  news  spread,  and  great  was  the 
consternation  among  the  Emperor’s  three  hundred  con- 
cubines, the  beautiful  girls  who  had  been  brought  up 
in  the  Palace  under  the  Empress-Mother’s  eyes,  and 
who  were  skilled  in  every  art  to  please  and  cheer. 
The  young  Empress  comforted  them,  saying,  Nay,  my 
sisters,  fear  not ! You  who  are  the  happy  slaves  of  the 
Son  of  Heaven  may  never  leave  the  Palace  or  look  in 
the  face  of  any  Chinese  prince,  much  less  of  any  common 
man.  The  Khan’s  bride  will  be  sought  elsewhere.” 


VOL.  II 


P 


66 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


And  so  it  happened ; for  the  Emperor  said  to  him- 
self, “ \Yhat  does  this  barbarian  know  of  beauty  ? 
Yerily  a peasant- woman  would  be  fine  and  fair  enough 
for  him.  However,  since  he  is  very  powerful,  we  will 
cause  a fair  woman  to  be  sought  out,  and  we  will  tell 
these  moles  of  envoys  that  she  is  a Princess,  and  no  one 
will  be  the  wiser.”  For  of  course  no  man  ever  looked 
on  the  faces  of  the  Court  ladies,  except  the  Emperor 
and  their  own  attendants.  . 

So  the  order  went  out  that  all  the  fair  women  in 
any  way  connected  with  the  Court  should  have  their 
portraits  painted,  so  that  the  Emperor  should  look  at 
them  and  decide  who  should  be  sent  to  the  barbarian’s 
country ; and  the  Emperor’s  own  painter  was  sent  to  all 
the  pavilions  of  the  Summer  Palace,  and  the  Hunting 
Palace,  and  the  Golden  Palace  in  Peking,  where  dwelt 
many  beautiful  girls  in  attendance  on  the  Empress- 
Mother  and  the  Princesses,  and  also  the  daughters  of 
great  mandarins  who  were  Court  officials.  But  the 
true  object  of  the  search  was  kept  a secret.  And  when 
the  women  found  out  by  teasing  and  coaxing,  that 
it  was  the  Son  of  Heaven  himself  who  had  sent  for 
their  portraits,  each  one  implored  and  bribed  the 
painter  to  make  her  the  most  beautiful,  so  that  she 
might  find  favour  in  the  Emperor’s  eyes. 

Each  one  — except  0 Sho  Rung.  I do  not  for  a 
moment  think  that  that  was  her  name.  She  was 
probably  called  Shung-Ma;  and  the  thread  through  the 
labyrinth  of  transposition  will  lead  us  back  to  the  Star 
Weaver  who  was  separated  from  her  love,  even  as  was 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


67 


this  poor  little  lady  of 
Pechili,  on  whom  the 
Japanese  poets  have 
written  endless  elegies. 

However,  she  is  0 Sho 
Kung  in  the  land  where 
I heard  her  sad  story ; so 
I will  call  her  by  her 
Japanese  name.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  a 
great  mandarin,  and  was 
brought  up  in  the  wom- 
en’s pavilion  in  his  beau- 
tiful house  by  the  Pali- 
Chuang  Pagoda.  There 
was  a great  garden  and 
a lotus  lake,  where  she 
and  her  friends  pushed 
about  their  little  boats 
among  the  dreamy  pink 
flowers,  and  halted  under  white  marble  bridges  to  write 
little  love  poems  on  scented  paper;  and  0 Sho  Kung 
was  very  happy.  Wlien  she  was  fourteen,  she  was 
betrothed  to  a young  noble,  who,  she  was  told,  was 
everything  that  was  brave  and  handsome.  She  would 
not  be  allowed  to  see  him  or  he  her  until  after  the 
wedding,  when  he  could  raise  the  scarlet  veil  from  her 
face ; but  the  old  go-between  woman  told  wonderful 
tales  of  0 Sho  Kung  to  Tseng  Shi,  and  of  Tseng  Shi 
to  0 Sho  Kung ; and  one  day,  when  he  was  riding  by. 


A DAIMYO’S  KAUGHTER 


68 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


the  girl  hid  behind  a lattice  in  the  garden  wall  and 
‘saw  him  clearly,  and  he  carried  away  her  poor  little 
heart  dangling  on  his  huge  peaked  saddle-bow.  And 
she  debated  within  herself  whether  she  really  must 
weep  for  three  days  before  her  wedding,  and  make 
resistance  when  taken  to  her  husband’s  house,  as 
every  well-brought-up  girl  was  expected  to  do.  For 
though  she  loved  her  parents,  she  thought  there  would 
be  nothing  to  cry  over  when  the  time  came  for  her  to 
be  married  to  that  kind-looking  handsome  youth  who 
was  to  be  her  husband. 

The  preparations  for  the  wedding  were  nearly 
completed,  when  the  Emperor’s  messenger  with  the 
Emperor’s  painter  appeared  at  the  gates,  and  requested 
to  have  an  interview  with  0 Sho  Kung’s  father.  The 
mandarin  was  not  greatly  pleased  that  two  strange  men 
should  be  allowed  to  look  on  his  child’s  face ; but  the 
Emperor’s  command  carried  all  before  it,  and  the  world 
already  knew  of  the  existence  of  the  mandarin’s  beauti- 
ful daughter.  She  was  covered  with  confusion  in  the 
presence  of  the  envoy,  who  kindly  explained  that  the 
Son  of  Heaven  had  particular  reasons  for  wishing  to 
have  her  portrait.  ‘^Why  mine?”  cried  the  modest 
girl ; I am  but  a roadside  weed,  and  his  august  Palace 
is  full  of  beautiful  jessamine  flowers ! ” And  then,  with 
the  cunning  of  love,  she  managed  to  bribe  the  painter 
with  a handful  of  jewels  to  say  that  she  was  ugly  and 
deformed,  and  her  face  unworthy  to  be  portrayed  for 
the  Emperor  to  see,  that  so  he  might  never  wish  to 
have  her  brought  to  the  Palace.  The  painter  laughed, 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


69 


and  took  the  jewels,  and  did  even  as  she  begged  him 
to  do.  All  the  other  women  had  given  him  jewels  to 
make  their  portraits  as  lovely  as  possible,  each  hoping 
that  the  choice  Avould  fall  on  her,  and  never  dreaming 
of  the  dreadful  fate  that  would  follow  the  choice. 

And  so  it  happened  that,  when  the  messengers 
returned  to  their  master,  they  brought  a collection  of 
portraits  of  such  beautiful  women  that  the  Son  of 
Heaven  was  glad  and  angry  at  the  same  time. 

What ! ” he  cried,  is  my  empire  so  rich  in  fair 
women  that  the  gods  might  envy  it,  and  yet  so  weak 
that  I must  send  one  of  these  pomegranate  blossoms  to 
mate  with  a filthy  barbarian  ? Not  one  shall  go  — not 
one ! ’’ 

Then  the  wily  messenger  told  him  of  the  lady  0 
Sho  Kung,  and  said  that  she  had  a dark  skin  and  round 
eyes  and  big  mouth,  even  as  she  had  begged  him  to 
do ; and  the  Emperor  laughed,  and  said,  You  did  well 
to  tell  me  of  her  ugly  face ! It  will  match  with  the 
countenance  of  the  Khan  ! Let  0 Sho  Kung  be  sent 
to  Mongolia  to  be  the  bride  of  the  churl.” 

So  the  message  was  carried  back  that  0 Sho  Kung 
was  wanted  as  a bride  for  the  Khan,  and  the  com- 
mands were  very  precise  that  she  was  to  come  to  the 
Palace  at  once.  And  she  who  had  wondered  if  indeed 
she  must  weep  when  she  left  her  father’s  house  wept 
most  bitter  tears  when  she  was  torn  away  from  it, 
and  her  father  and  mother  went  with  her,  and  their 
hearts  were  heavy  as  lead.  When  they  reached  the 
Palace,  0 Sho  Kung  was  taken  to  the  Empress-Mother, 


70 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


who  told  her  that  which  lay  in  store  for  her ; and 
0 Sho  Knng  became  white  and  dumb  because  of  the 
anguish  of  her  heart,  she  being  young  and  new  to 
pain.  And  the  Empress-Mother’s  handmaids  dressed 
her  in  the  robes  of  a Princess  with  royal  jewels  and 
great  pomp,  and  on  her  head  they  put  the  diadem  of 
the  golden  phoenix  which  only  the  royal  ladies  might 
wear.  At  last  it  was  all  done, ' and  as  the  Empress- 
Mother  looked  at  the  girl  in  her  shining  robes  she 
said  to  herself,  ‘^Verily  the  messenger  lied  to  my  son! 
This  maiden  is  a white  pomegranate  blossom,  fairer 
than  all  the  Princesses ! Would  I could  keep  her 
here  ! ” 

But  it  was  too  late  for  that.  The  command  came 
that  the  envoys  were  ready  to  depart,  and  that  they 
were  even  now  having  their  last  audience  with  the 
Emperor,  and  0 Sho  Rung  was  commanded  to  go  and 
make  obeisance  to  the  Son  of  Heaven  before  starting 
on  her  journey.  And  her  heart  was  like  marble,  but 
her  courage  was  high,  and  not  a tear  was  on  her  cheek 
as  she  was  led  to  the  Emperor’s  presence.  And  as  she 
entered  the  throne-room  he  said  carelessly  to  the 
envoys,  Behold  the  Princess  whom  we  have  chosen 
for  the  honour  of  sharing  your  master’s  throne ! ” And 
only  when  he  had  spoken  did  he  look  up,  and  there 
before  him  stood  0 Sho  Kung,  beautiful  as  a full  moon 
when  no  stars  are  in  the  sky,  proud  and  graceful  as 
the  young  willow  by  a peaceful  stream.  And  the 
Emperor’s  heart  leapt  up  in  his  bosom,  and  red  anger 
took  him  that  this  fairest  of  women  must  go  from 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


71 


Ills  Court,  to  set 
like  a ' setting 
moon  in  the 
sandy  desert. 

And  for  one 
ni  o in  e n t he 

wavered ; then 
he  thought  of 
his  royal  word 
already  given  to 
the  rough  mes- 
sengers, who 
gazed  open- 
mouthed  on  the 
lovely  vision ; 
and  the  Em- 
peror covered 
his  face  with 
his  sleeve,  and 
0 Sho  Rung 
prostrated  her- 
self before  him, 
and  passed  from 
his  sight  for 
ev^er. 

And  when  her  mother  saw  her  set  on  a horse  and 
led  out  of  the  city  by  rude  men  who  laughed  at  her 
tears  and  handled  her  roughly,  while  0 Sho  Rung 
held  out  her  arms  for  help  which  neither  father  nor 
mother  could  give  since  the  Emperor  had  spoken  — 


THE  DEPARTURE  OF  O SHO  KUNG 


72 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


then  her  mother  cut  her  own  throat,  entreating  that 
at  least  her  spirit  might  follow  her  daughter  to  watch 
over  her ; and  her  father  cursed  the  Emperor  in  his 
heart,  and  began  to  plot  to  deliver  him  and  his  city 
into  the  hands  of  the  Khan,  who  greatly  coveted  it. 
But  Tseng  Shi  married  another  girl,  and  lived  happy, 
forgetting  0 Sho  Rung. 

I know  what  became  of  her  at  last,  after  she  had 
ridden  for  twenty  days  through  the  grass-lands  to  the 
north ; but  I must  not  tell  you  all  my  stories  in 
these  letters,  or  there  will  be  none  left  to  bring  home. 
How  do  I know,  are  you  saying,  how  is  it  possible 
that  I should  know,  when  it  all  happened  so  long  ago, 
in  those  strange  climes?  Well,  some  of  the  story  was 
told  me  here,  and  some,  I think,  one  summer’s  day 
by  the  lotus  ponds  of  Pali-Chuang,  and  some  was 
whispered  in  the  grass-lands  through  which  I,  too,  did 
ride.  Who  shall  limit  that  which  is  breathed  in  the 
hearing  ear  ? 


CHAPTER  XXV 


THE  APPROACH  OF  THE  STORM.  — AT  THE  HEART  OF  THE 
TYPHOON.  — A FUNNY  SIGHT. — THE  USUI  TOGE. — THE 
STORY  OF  A HERO,  AND  A HEROINE. — YAMATO’s  RE- 
PENTANCE. — “ IN  THE  SWEET  OPEN  FIELDS  ” 


BROUGHT  a whole  library  of  instructive  books 


up  here ; but  reading  is  sheer  waste  of  time  in 
these  surroundings,  and  one’s  eyes  are  too  filled  with 
new  and  lovely  sights  to  go  back  contentedly  to  printed 
books  and  other  people’s  thoughts.  What  book  that 
ever  was  published  brings  the  sense  of  strength  and 
peace  that  the  sight  of  pine  branches  waving  across  the 
morning  sky  can  give  ? God’s  books  are  not  all  written 
in  printer’s  ink.  On  this  wind-swept  upstairs  gallery 
where  I write  I am  on  a level  with  the  second  story  of 
the  pines,  and  they  are  reaching  out  their  green  and 
gold  towards  me  with  generous  hands.  I have  just 
come  back  from  a long  walk  over  the  plain ; we  have 
had  a fearful  typhoon ; and  the  first  Lilium  auratum 
has  been  brought  in  : of  which  shall  I tell  you  first  ? 
The  typhoon,  of  course  ? Ah,  well,  there  is  no  account- 
ing for  tastes. 

The  typhoon  burst  upon  us  last  week,  happily  not 


Karuizawa,  August,  1890. 


73 


74 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


shovel  away  the  darn  which  turns  a part  of  the  moun- 
tain stream  through  the  wasldiouse,  and  see  that  the 
auxiliary  streamlet  is  returned  with  thanks  before 
the  worst  floods  rush  by.  But  all  the  precautions  in 
the  world  cannot  make  the  visitation  anything  but  a 
very  dreadful  one ; and  when  it  is  over,  one  is  more 
inclined  to  thank  Heaven  for  that  which  has  not  hap- 
pened than  to  grumble  at  damage  done.  I think  I told 


quite  without  warning.  When  it  rains  ramrods  for 
twenty-four  hours,  and  the  barometer  behaves  as  if  it 
had  St.  Vitus’s  dance,  we  know  what  to  expect  in  this 
part  of  the  world,  and  look  to  chimneys  and  shutters, 
see  that  the  animals  are  under  cover,  and,  up  here. 


PINES  IN  OLR  MOUNTAIN  GARDEN 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


75 


you  that  our  cottage  is  built  on  a three-cornered  piece 
of  land,  bounded  on  the  two  lower  sides  by  converging 
streams,  and  rising  into  the  hills  at  the  back.  The 
whole  is  on  a rather  sharp  slope,  a fortunate  circum- 
stance, for  floods  and  freshets  drain  oh  quickly  without 
doing  much  damage  to  the  house  or  garden,  but  wreak- 
ing their  fury  on  our  communications  with  the  outer 
world  beyond.  All  through  that  memorable  day  the 
heat  was  intense,  the  rain  fell  with  mechanical  regular- 
ity in  straight  bars  which  rattled  like  iron  on  all  our 
roofs,  made  the  lawn  and  paths  one  moving  sheet  of 
water,  and  churned  our  toy  pond  into  sputtering  froth. 
All  the  galleries  were  safely  enclosed  with  the  glass 
screens ; but  on  two  sides  the  heavy  night-shutters  had 
to  be  put  up  to  keep  the  rooms  from  being  flooded. 
^yhatever  there  was  of  insect  life  in  the  garden  and 
woods  seemed  to  be  taking  refuge  in  the  house.  Mosqui- 
toes, moths,  huge  armed  cockchafers  heavy  as  stones 
— all  flung  themselves  against  the  glass ; and  for  the 
thousandth  time  I was  glad  that  we  had  not  windowed 
our  house  with  paper  in  real  Japanese  fashion  — we 
should  have  had  to  sit  all  day  with  candles  behind 
closed  shutters,  as  many  of  our  friends  did  through 
this  very  storm. 

The  poor  servants  were  much  alarmed,  for  they 
knew  as  well  as  we  did  what  was  coming.  The  cook 
was  seen  climbing  the  roof  of  the  kitchen  oh  the 
shoulders  of  Chisai  Cook  San  ” (Little  Cook  Mr.)  to 
inspect  an  extra  long  iron  chimney,  which  he  had  in- 
duced me  in  a moment  of  foolhardiness  to  have  put 


76 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


up  for  his  benefit.  The  servants  live  so  much  out  of 
doors,  that  there  are  numberless  little  properties  in 
their  own  yard  to  be  got  under  cover,  if  a very  bad 
storm  is  coming.  Even  the  dogs  lay  wise  and  silent, 
asking  no  questions  and  expecting  no  walks;  not  even 
nosing  about  under  the  front  doorsteps,  where  they 
bury  their  best  bones.  Our  good  policeman  (his  name 
is  Furihata)  came  up  several  times  instead  of  only  twice 
in  the  course  of  the  day  to  see  if  all  was  right  with 

us ; and  Mr.  G visited  the  waterworks  anxiously, 

fearing  either  that  we  should  be  swamped  or  else  have 
all  our  bamboo  pipes  carried  away  down  the  main 
stream. 

The  intense  oppression  and  excitement  that  I have 
felt  in  other  typhoons  was  upon  us  all ; we  seemed  to 
be  fighting  the  air,  hot,  choking,  evil  air,  full  of  enemies 
to  soul  and  body.  Our  great  volcano  neighbour,  Asama 
Yama,  had  sent  out  more  than  one  long  roar,  and  the 
earth  had  heaved  once  and  twice  under  our  feet,  when 
at  last  the  storm  reached  us,  swept  over  and  round  and 
through  us  in  a concentrated  fury  of  attack.  Every 
moment  it  seemed  as  if  the  house  must  go,  and  we  and 
it  be  hurled  down  to  the  drowning  plain.  The  night 
came  down  black  as  wet  pitch,  and  our  poor  little  home, 
with  its  flickering  lamps  and  quivering  walls,  seemed 
the  only  point  left  in  the  inky  darkness.  The  wooden 
shutters  had  all  been  run  into  place  and  tightly  bolted 
when  the  hurricane  broke,  for  a wooden  house  of  this 
kind  could  rise  up  and  sail  down  the  wind  like  an  open 
umbrella  if  one  lifting  gust  got  under  the  roof.  So  all 


KAIN  STORM 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


79 


night  long  we  sat,  or  lay  down  for  a little,  with  every- 
thing prepared  for  flight  should  the  storm  prove  the 
stronger ; and  again  and  again  it  seemed  impossible  that 
our  wooden  pillars  resting  on  shallow  stones  should  be 
able  to  withstand  the  force  of  the  wind,  which  shrieked 
and  beat  and  thundered  against  them  all  in  turn.  The 
whole  safety  of  a Japanese  house  depends  on  the  wooden 
pillars  which  support  it  (the  walls  are  mere  veils  of 
plank  stretched  between),  and  an  ingenious  arrange- 
ment is  resorted  to  in  order  that  the  pillars  may  have 
literally  fair  play.  Each  square  pillar  stands  in  a 
socket  of  stone,  the  only  foundation  used  at  all,  and 
not  placed  more  than  two  feet  below  the  floor  of  the 
house.  The  pillar  is  square,  and  is  rounded  oft  at  the 
base ; and  the  socket  is  also  round,  and  is  slightly 
too  large  for  the  post  which  rests  in  it,  thus  allowing 
the  post  a chance  of  moving  a very  little  in  earthquake 
or  storm,  and  righting  itself  again  at  once.  In  slight 
or  medium  shocks  a house  built  in  this  way  suffers 
hardly  at  all,  its  elasticity  preventing  the  resistance 
which  would  wreck  a hard  and  fast  edifice ; in  the  mad 
destruction  of  a violent  earthquake,  I doubt  if  the  house 
has  yet  been  built  which  would  not  suffer,  and  suffer 
greatly.  Twice  in  that  awful  night  I felt  as  if  the 
house  must  really  go,  when  two  great  lifting  gusts 
seemed  to  have  got  under  it ; but  the  long  hours  passed, 
and  again  and  again  the  whole  fury  of  the  storm  hurled 
itself  against  us  without  doing  any  sensible  damage. 
As  we  heard  the  thunder  of  the  swollen  torrents  on 
either  hand  roll  by,  with  many  a crash  of  timber  and 


80 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


cannonade  of  flying  stones,  and  yet  saw  that  our  floors 
\vere  dry  and  our  roof  whole,  we  took  heart  to  sleep 
a little,  hoping  that  the  tempest  would  be  over  by  the 
morning.  It  had  raged  for  several  hours,  and  all 

through  the  night  I heard  Mr.  G tapping  the 

barometer  violently  from  time  to  time  to  see  if  it  could 
not  be  induced  to  show  signs  of  settling.  One  of  the 
strangest  portents  of  the  storm  was  the  wild  excitement 
of  the  needle.  It  danced  from  side  to  side,  and  hardly 
stayed  quiet  for  a moment  till  the  gale  was  over;  and 
then  it  settled  to  Fair,”  and  stayed  there,  in  spite  of 
black  skies  and  a deluged  world.  I suppose  it  knew 
what  it  was  about ! I am  told  that  this  nervousness 
of  the  glass  is  an  invariable  feature  of  the  true  typhoon. 

At  last  the  fury  of  the  storm  passed  away,  and 
travelled  up  through  the  hills  with  long  wails  and 
half-heard  shrieks  so  awful  that  they  gave  the  impres- 
sion of  some  agonised  creature,  invisible,  close,  being 
tortured  to  death  before  our  eyes  that  saw  nothing. 
Fainter  and  fainter  it  grew,  and  only  when  it  passed 
away  did  we  begin  to  hear  clearly  the  angry  roar  of 
the  torrents  which  had  all  night  acted  as  an  undernote 
to  the  tempestuous  voices  of  the  gale.  As  soon  as  day- 
light came  — such  wet  grey  daylight ! — the  more  dar- 
ing crept  out  to  see  what  damage  had  been  done.  I 
was  joyfully  told  that  Cook  San’s  dear  chimney  was 
none  the  worse,  and  I believe  he  must  have  made 
Chisai  Cook  San  sit  on  the  roof  all  night  to  hold  it  in 
place.  But  other  things  had  not  been  so  fortunate. 
The  waterworks  were  badly  damaged ; several  trees 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


81 


which  had  been  planted  symmetrically  beside  a fence 
had  been  bowled  over  like  so  many  ninepins ; the  road 
over  the  pass  was  gone  in  many  places,  the  one  to  the 
village  was  under  water  and  torn  to  shreds ; while  our 
own  bridge  hung  over  the  main  torrent  on  one  crazy 
beam,  to  be  crept  across  with  breathless  care.  As  for 
the  tramway  and  the  telegraph  lines,  they  had  ceased 
to  exist,  and  for  five  days  after  that  visitation  not 
a message  of  any  kind  reached  us,  and  our  supplies 
from  Tokyo  (on  which  we  mainly  depend  for  food) 
were  entirely  cut  off.  Our  poor  gardener,  who  sleeps 
in  the  village,  struggled  up  here  in  the  worst  of  the 
storm  to  see  if  he  could  do  anything  for  us ; and 
Furihata,  our  dear  little  policeman,  behaved  gallantly. 
At  about  three  in  the  morning,  when  it  was  blowing 
great  guns,  I heard  him  going  on  his  beat  round  the 
house,  and,  peeping  out  through  a chink  in  the  shutters, 
saw  his  faithful  yellow  lantern  bobbing  about,  pro- 
tected in  some  ingenious  fashion  by  his  oilskin  cloak 
from  the  rain  and  wind.  He  came  up  again  after 
daylight  to  tell  us  about  the  dangerous  condition  of 
the  bridge,  and  to  say  that  it  should  be  mended  imme- 
diately ; but  except  that  he  and  two  of  his  colleagues 
have  been  seen  staring  at  it  with  gravity,  no  steps  have 
been  taken  as  yet.  We  are  in  pleasing  uncertainty 
as  to  where  a large  supply  of  wine,  some  new  clothes, 
and  a quantity  of  groceries  have  gone  to,  and  I begin 
to  understand  the  feelings  of  dear  Ben  Gunn  when  he 
longed  for  Christian  diet  on  Treasure  Island.  But  now 
the  country  is  looking  so  perfect  in  its  fresh  beauty 


VOL.  II 


o 


82 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


after  the  rain  that  I ought  to  be  ashamed  of  repining 
at  snch  small  misfortunes.  A harmless  breeze  is 
sweeping  the  soft  white  clouds  into  heaps  and  corners, 
the  sky  is  sapphire  blue  between  ; our  pond,  composed 
again,  is  reflecting  it  all  respectfully ; and  the  air  is 
full  of  the  sound  of  the  leaping  streams,  which  are 
still  having  it  all  their  own  way  for  miles  around. 
Through  the  forest  I hear  the  woodcutter  again  at 
work ; and  farther  off,  below  the  stone  shrine  in  the 
green  hillside,  a little  thread  of  smoke  rises  dreamy 
blue  above  the  pine-tops,  showing  that  the  charcoal- 
burner’s  family  (I  discovered  them  in  one  of  my  walks) 
are  again  at  work. 

We  have  been  down  through  the  village  and  out 
across  the  plain  since  the  storm,  and  had  a delightful 
sense  of  danger  in  picking  our  way  over  the  dancing 
bridge.  The  wise  dogs  refused  to  trust  themselves 
to  it,  and  all  except  Bess,  the  old  pointer,  had  to  be 
carried  across.  The  loose  lava  of  the  roads  makes 
them  like  long  ridges  of  rubble  after  the  floods  of 
last  week ; but  the  cool  smell  of  everything  and  the 
whiff  of  vitality  in  the  air  make  up  for  a little  rough 
walking. 

We  had  been  out  beyond  the  village,  and  were 
returning  towards  it,  when  a funny  sight  met  our  eyes. 
A bridge  at  the  farther  end  «had  been  a good  deal 
knocked  about  by  the  storm,  but  still  presented  a 
respectable  appearance.  I saw  two  men  riding  towards 
it  from  the  opposite  side ; they  were  smartly  dressed 
in  white  European  clothes  and  pith  helmets  such  as 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


83 


our  inspector  wears  in  summer.  As  we  know  every 
soul  in  the  place,  I was  curious  to  see  who  these 

strangers  were,  when  the  foremost  horse  stepped  gaily 
on  the  bridge.  Then  — he  went  through  it,  at  least 
his  forefeet  did,  and  he  lay  amazed,  caught  in  the 

rotten  wood,  while  the  well-dressed  stranger  rolled  over 
his  head,  scrambled  to  his  feet,  and  turned  out  to  be 
our  cook  in  his  new  Sunday  clothes,  followed  by 
Kane,  the  artistic  pantry-boy,  dressed  exactly  like  him. 
Kane  turned  and  fled  — why,  I know  not,  since  there 
was  no  crime  in  hiring  a horse  and  taking  a ride, 

even  if  we  were  on  foot  at  the  time.  The  poor  Cook 

San  looked  most  uncomfortable,  but  pulled  his  steed 
up  bravely,  and  led  him  aside  while  we  passed.  I only 
asked  him  if  he  had  hurt  himself,  and  denied  myself  the 
pleasure  of  looking  back  to  see  him  scramble  up  again. 

One  other  walk  we  have  had  since  the  storm,  up 
the  Usui  Toge,  to  pay  a visit  to  some  friends  who  have 
taken  a house  for  the  summer  in  the  hamlet  which 
crowns  the  pass.  The  road  was  in  many  places  a 
series  of  rifts,  over  which  we  had  to  scramble  as  we 
could ; the  loose  tufa  soil  allows  the  rain  to  settle  and 
sink  through  the  surface  cracks,  and  when  the  water 
has  worked  a yard  or  two  down,  the  slightest  shock 
detaches  the  whole  piece,  which  goes  rolling  off  into 
the  torrent  or  the  valley,  leaving  one  more  bare  scar 
on  the  mountain -side.  The  clearest  tramontana  wind 
blew  in  our  faces,  and  kept  us  cool,  though  it  was 
four  o’clock,  quite  the  hottest  hour  of  our  August 
day.  The  brooks  were  rushing  gloriously  down  the 


84 


LETTERS  FROM  JAILMN^ 


dells  and  gorges  through  which  the  path  winds  up, 
the  flowers  were  full  of  wet  sweetness  in  the  sun,  and 
tlie  landscape  was  like  one  great  washed  jewel  in  the 
afternoon  light.  Our  mountains,  great  volcanic  crags, 
with  their  feet  buried  in  soft  green  foothills,  were 
all  wreathed  in  golden  haze.  On  the  crest  of  the 
pass,  we  crept  out  on  a dividing  spur,  a flying  buttress 
of  the  mountains,  whence  all  the  plain  stretches  away 
on  the  left,  and  that  mass  of  rocks  called  the  Myogi 
San  (the  maiden  pass)  tosses  its  granite  breakers  off 
to  the  right.  Here  we  sat  long,  and  in  silence,  watch- 
ing the  rose  creep  into  the  gold,  the  purple  into  the 
rose,  and  some  one  said,  It  will  be  dark  in  half  an 
hour ; ” and  we  turned  to  hurry  down  the  steep  path 
while  some  daylight  remained. 

Like  many  another  beautiful  scene  in  Japan,  the 
lieights  of  the  Usui  Toge  are  connected  with  the  his- 
tory of  one  of  the  country’s  heroes.  Yamato  Take,  or 
0-osu,  was  the  son  of  the  Emperor  Keiko,  who  came  to 
the  throne,  according  to  Japanese  chronology,  in  the  year 
71  of  our  era.  A whole  edifice  of  stories  has  grown 
up  round  the  figure  of  the  heroic  Yamato,  and  some  of 
them  are  so  picturesque  that  they  are  worth  the  telling. 
Like  all  Japanese  heroes,  he  was  born  with  a brave  and 
reckless  disposition  ; and  his  first  exploit,  performed  when 
he  was  a mere  boy,  was  the  murder  of  his  elder  brother 
for  some  infringement  of  Palace  etiquette  which  had 
displeased  their  father.  The  Emperor,  instead  of  be- 
wailing the  death  of  his  eldest  son,  seems  to  have 
regarded  the  circumstance  as  a welcome  manifestation 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


85 


of  the  qualities  of  0-osu,  as  he  was  then  called,  and 
sent  him,  single-handed,  to  slay  two  fierce  outlaws  who 
were  spreading  terror  through  the  district  where  they 
had  their  lair.  0-osu  undertook  the  matter  gladly,  and 
brought  as  much  cunning  as  courage  to  the  task.  He 
was  still  so  young  and  slight  that  he  had  no  trouble  in 
passing  himself  oft  as  a girl.  Dressed  in  the  gorgeous 
robes  of  a courtesan,  with  his  still  long  hair  hanging 
down  his  back,  he  came  smiling  into  their  cave  as  the 
two  robbers  were  feasting  one  autumn  night.  Surely 
they  were  glad  to  welcome  the  beautiful  girl,  who,  gay 
as  a maple  in  its  crimson  dress,  passed  under  the  over- 
hanging boughs,  to  sing  sweet  songs  and  pledge  them 
in  wine  in  the  October  starlight.  But  where  the  heart 
should  have  been  beating  in  the  girl’s  gentle  bosom  a 
sharp  short  sword  was  hid ; and  as  0-osu  sat  between 
the  robbers,  the  lightning  of  his  sword  flashed  in  the 
air,  and  then  was  eclipsed  in  one  man’s  life-blood.  He 
fell  dead ; and  his  companion,  terror-struck,  rushed  to 
the  opening  of  the  cave,  with  0-osu’ s clutch  already  on 
his  garments,  0-osu’s  sword  already  biting  his  back. 

Pause,  0 Prince ! ” he  gasped,  as  he  fell  under  the 
boy’s  feet.  Prince  thou  art  of  a surety ; but  whence, 
why  hast  thou  come  ? ” And  0 osu,  standing  above 
him  in  his  gay  dress,  more  crimson  now,  his  sword 
dripping  red  streams  down  his  upraised  arm,  told 
the  robber  that  he  was  the  avenger  of  evil,  the 
Emperor’s  messenger  of  death  to  rebels.  A new  name 
shalt  thou  have,”  said  the  dying  robber.  Hitherto  I 
and  my  dead  brother  there  were  called  the  bravest 


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LETTERS  FROM  JARAX 


men  of  the  west.  To  thee,  august  child,  I bequeath 
our  title.  Let  men  call  thee  the  bravest  in  Yamato ! ” 
Then  he  died. 

And  from  that  day  the  young  Prince  was  called 
Yamato  Take,  and  never  did  he  wrong  the  name.  The 
Emperor  sent  him  to  subdue  rebellious  tribes,  to  con- 
quer barbarians,  to  bring  the  hairy  Ainos  under  his 
father’s  rule ; and  since  he  was  pious  as  well  as  brave, 
and  always  entreated  the  help  of  his  ancestress,  Ama- 
terasu,  the  sun-goddess,  before  he  undertook  any  task, 
all  went  well  with  him  for  a time.  Then  the  Emperor 
gave  him  the  command  to  go  and  subdue  the  savages 
of  the  east,  who  had  never  owned  a master,  and  to 
overcome  their  gods.  Yamato  undertook  the  expedition  ; 
but  his  heart  was  heavy,  and  did  not  dance  in  his 
breast  as  it  was  wont  to  do  at  the  thought  of  battle 
and  carnage  and  victory.  So  he  went  to  the  shrine  of 
the  sun-goddess  at  Ise,  where  his  aunt,  the  Princess 
Yamato,  was  high-priestess ; and  she  offered  prayers 
for  him,  and  comforted  him  with  a strange  gift,  a 
silken  bag,  richly  embroidered,  which  he  was  not  to 
open  save  in  extreme  peril.  And  after  bidding  her 
farewell,  he  went  his  way,  with  brave  companions  in 
arms,  and  one  woman,  his  wife,  who  loved  him  so 
dearly  that  she  counted  labour  and  j^rivation  and 
danger  as  flowers  and  gold  for  his  sake.  But  Yamato 
was  cold  and  careless  to  her ; and  if  she  seemed 
grieved,  he  would  say,  ^‘It  is  thine  own  fault,  Oto 
Tachibana : on  the  battlefield,  thoughts  of  war ; on  the 
mats,  smiles  and  sake.  Go  back  to  thy  home.  Princess.” 


LETTERS  FRO:\[  JAPA^^ 


87 


But  she  would  not,  saying  to  herself,  My  august 
Lord  has  yet  somewhat  to  learn ; and  that  I,  his  poor 
servant,  will  have  the  honour  of  teaching  him.  A 
Princess  of  Yamato  scorns  the  soft  mats  that  are  not 
pressed  by  her  Lord’s  feet ; she  does  not  smile  when  he 
goes  into  danger ; she  drinks  no  wine  while  his  sword 
drinks  blood.  I go  with  my  Lord  into  the  battle.” 
And  so,  leaving  all  her  luxury  and  ease,  dressed  in 
her  war  garments,  but  keeping  only  her  jewelled  comb 
in  her  long  hair,  Oto  Tachibana  went  with  the  Prince. 
And  as  they  travelled,  they  came  to  the  province 
called  Owari,  where  lived  the  fairest  woman  in  the 
world,  the  Princess  Miyadzu.  She  had  never  worn  the 
garments  of  war,  and  her  robes  were  gay  and  dazzling, 
her  face  wdiite  as  the  jessamine  in  the  inner  room, 
and  her  hands  that  never  had  grasped  bow  or  spear 
were  delicate  as  the  stamens  of  the  lily.  Her  lotus 
feet  knew  not  the  rough  road  of  duty,  and  her  smile 
was  like  wine  to  the  wanton  in  heart.  Beside  her  Oto 
Tachibana,  with  her  worn  raiment  and  her  sunburnt 
brow,  seemed  a peasant-girl,  a thing  of  which  the  Prince 
was  ashamed.  So  he  said  nothing  of  her  being  his 
wife,  and  she  had  to  stand  silent  while  he  spoke 
aside  with  the  Princess  Miyadzu,  while  he  walked  in 
Miyadzu’ s garden  and  drank  Miyadzu’ s wine ; and  she 
knew  that  he  had  made  Miyadzu  a promise  that,  when 
his  work  was  done  and  the  savages  subdued,  he 
would  return  the  same  way  and  marry  her  in  state, 
and  take  her  to  rule  over  his  home  in  Yamato.  And 
even  as  he  spoke,  he  felt  Oto  Tachibana’ s eyes  upon 


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LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


him,  and  he  turned  and  saw  her  looking  sadly  at  him, 
and  his  heart  became  cold ; but  he  did  not  repent. 
He  said  farewell  to  Miyadzu  with  much  tenderness, 
and  rode  away  with  all  his  train,  Oto  Tachibana  carry- 
ing his  shield  and  making  no  sound,  for  she  was  a 
patient  and  noble  lady. 

I cannot  stop  to  tell  you  all  the  strange  adventures 
that  he  encountered,  but  they  were  many ; and  through 
all  his  wife  followed  him  faithfully,  and  spoke  not  a 
word  to  sadden  his  heart  or  take  away  his  courage. 
And  at  last  he  came  to  the  place  called  Sagami,  where 
the  land  runs  out  into  the  sea  on  both  sides,  and  the 
village  called  the  Door  of  the  Bay  lay  'within.  And 
his  follow^ers  sought  for  boats  wherein  he  could  cross 
the  sea ; and  he  scoffed,  saying,  This  is  no  sea,  but 
a brook ! I could  jump  across  if  I would!’' 

Then  Riujin  and  the  other  sea-gods,  hearing  the 
insult,  were  angry,  and  caused  a terrible  storm ; and 
Yamato  Take  was  in  danger  of  death,  since  the  boat 
in  which  he  was  with  his  wife  and  his  followers  was 
tossed  from  wave  to  wave  in  the  fierce  tempest,  and 
he  rued  bitterly  his  insult  to  the  sea-gods.  Then  Oto 
Tachibana  spoke,  saying,  August  husband,  I will 
appease  the  deities ; thy  bright,  honourable  life  shall 
be  saved.”  And  she  caused  the  mats  from  the  sleeping- 
place  of  the  ship  to  be  thrown  on  the  waves,  and  she 
stood  on  the  edge  of  the  junk,  and  grief  and  the 
storm-wind  had  washed  her  brow  white  from  sunburn 
and  war  stain,  and  the  lightning  played  in  her  eyes 
so  that  she  looked  bright  as  the  sun-goddess  in  the 


IN  MIYADZU’S  PALACE 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


91 


mirror  of  heaven ; and  she  clasped  her  hands  above 
her  head,  and  cried,  In  truth  my  place  is  on  the  soft 
mats,  as  thou  didst  say  ! ” And  she  leapt  from  the  boat 
into  the  sea,  and  the  mats  received  her;  and  all  her 
garments  folded  decorously  around  her  as  she  sat,  and 
the  lightning  showed  her  to  the  Prince  as  the  waves 
carried  her  quickly  away;  and  then  the  storm  ceased, 
and  the  sea  was  still,  because  its  gods  were  appeased. 

Then  Yamato  Take  was  also  still,  and  in  silence 
he  and  his  followers  landed  on  the  farther  shore ; and 
he  fought  as  he  had  never  fought  before,  penetrating 
into  the  lands  of  the  Yemishi,  the  hairy  barbarians,  and 
subduing  all  their  gods.  And  as  he  returned  towards 
Sagami,  he  stopped  on  the  top  of  the  pass  called  the 
Usui  Toge,  and  gazed  long  and  sadly  towards  the  sea 
where  Oto  Tachibana  had  given  her  life  for  his  sake. 
And,  thinking  of  all  her  faithfulness  which  he  had 
betrayed,  and  all  her  love  which  he  had  scorned,  he 
cried  out  bitterly,  ^^Azuma,  Azuma,  ya ! ” (Oh,  my 
wife,  my  wife !).  And  ever  after,  all  that  province 
between  the  mountains  and  the  sea  was  called  Azuma, 
even  as  it  is  at  this  day. 

As  for  Oto  Tachibana,  the  storm  took  her,  and  she 
never  was  seen  again;  but  her  jewelled  comb  was 
brought  to  shore  by  the  sea-king’s  daughter,  and 
Yamato  Take  built  a great  mausoleum  over  it  to  her 
memory. 

And  what  became  of  Yamato  Take  ? you  say,  as 
you  read  my  letter  aloud  under  the  Barberini  pines, 
looking  across  another  plain  to  another  sea.  Well,  he 


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LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


was  a man,  you  know ; so  he  went  back  to  the  Princess 
Miyadzu  afterwards.  But  she  seemed  less  beautiful  to 
him  now,  and  soon  he  went  oh  to  fight  more  barbarians, 
being  born  a fighter,  who  breathed  best  in  carnage.  But 
he  died  at  thirty-two,  as  he  was  struggling  back  to  the 
Temple  of  Ise,  to  beg  Yamato  Kime,  his  aunt,  to  pray 
that  he  might  be  cured  of  a grievous  sickness  which 
had  come  upon  him.  He  reached  it  not,  and  the  death- 
agony  found  him  under  a lonely  pine  tree  at  Otsu,  near 
Owari.  And  as  he  lay  dying  he  made  a poem,  and 
called  the  single  pine  tree  his  elder  brother,  to  whom 
he  would  gladly  leave  his  sword  of  honour  and  his 
warrior’s  dress.  And  he  seemed  to  gain  strength  from 
the  kindly  pine,  and  crept  on  farther,  but  died  in  the 
open  fields,  far  from  the  shrine  of  Ise.  But  some  of 
his  friends  were  with  him ; for  by  one  he  sent  his  sword 
and  bequeathed  the  spoils  of  his  last  conquest  to  the 
holy  shrine  of  the  sun-goddess,  who  was  his  ancestress. 
By  another  he  sent  a message  to  his  father,  to  tell  him 
that  all  his  commands  had  been  carried  out,  and  that 
he  grieved  at  not  being  able  to  bring  the  report  him- 
self, but  that  he  cared  no  longer  for  life,  and  lay 
dying  in  the  sweet  open  fields.” 


CHAPTER  XXYI 


THE  CHARCOAL-BURNER  LOSES  HIS  WAY.  — “A  MISTAKE  NO 
CRIME.”  — invasion!  — PILGRIMS  AND  THEIR  WAYS. — 
PILGRIM  CLUBS.  — AN  ENTERPRISING  OLD  LADY 


XACTLY  eight  days  after  our  first  typhoon,  we 


had  a second  edition  of  it,  which  really  worked 
fearful  havoc  among  the  hills,  where  the  soil  of  the 
paths  has  been  torn  and  rubble  loosened  by  the  first 
visitation.  Our  bridge  went  altogether  this  time ; but 
fortunately  we  found  that  there  is  a little  one  where 
the  stream  is  much  smaller,  through  the  deep  hedge  at 
the  far  end  of  our  garden.  The  chief  bridge  is  now 
being  rebuilt ; and  meanwhile  we  have  had  to  let  peo- 
ple pass  by  the  little  one,  which  is  intended  as  a short 
cut  to  the  path  leading  off  to  the  charcoal-burner’s 
establishment.  On  a misty  night  or  after  an  extra 
cup  of  sake  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  paths.  One 
rather  cloudy  evening  following  on  a rainy  day,  we  were 
sitting  on  the  verandah  as  usual  after  dinner,  when  a 
lantern,  evidently  in  a state  of  extreme  excitement, 
appeared  far  down  the  garden  path.  I never  saw  a 
lantern  behave  so  curiously.  First  it  waved  about  in 
the  air,  then  it  sank  to  the  ground,  then  it  swung 


Karuizawa,  September,  1890. 


03 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


94  , 

from  side  to  side.  As  it  came  nearer,  it  was  carried 
low,  and  illuminated  two  extremely  shaky  brown  legs, 
which  staggered  from  side  to  side,  tottered,  recovered 
themselves,  then  began  it  all  over  again.  We  sat  in 
amused  silence  while  this  strange  creature  appeared 
and  disappeared  among  the  shrubs,  and  at  last  came 
close  to  the  verandah  stejDs  and  revealed  its  whole  iden- 
tity. The  light  crept  up  from  the  round  paper  lantern 
over  a sturdy  body,  very  poorly  dressed,  and  croAvned  by 
a sleepy  face  full  of  irresponsible  smiles  — a face  which 
waggled  joyfully  from  side  to  side,  and  was  the  colour 
of  old  wood ; in  fact,  our  neighbour  the  charcoal-burner, 
royally  drunk. 

^^This  is  a very  good  house,”  he  remarked;  better 
than  the  Bansho  Kwan  ” (the  village  inn). 

What  do  you  want  ? ” Mr.  G asked.  You 

have  mistaken  the  road  to  your  house.” 

No,”  replied  our  visitor,  shaking  his  head  as  gravely 
as  he  could,  — ^^no  mistake.  House  Avant,  house  find. 
Bain  soon.  Stay  here.” 

He  seemed  about  to  sit  doAvn  on  the  verandah,  AAdien 
some  of  the  seiwants  appeared ; the  man  spoke  in  a 
loud  excited  way,  and  they  had  heard  the  strange  voice. 

You  have  lost  your  Avay,”  Mr.  G repeated ; 

this  is  not  an  inn.  You  shall  be  accompanied  till  you 
find  the  .right  path.” 

Then  Rinzo  and  Uma,  looking  much  amused,  took 
each  an  arm  of  the  stray  lamb.  Rinzo  relieved  him  of 
his  lantern,  and  they  Avalked  him  doAvn  the  path,  he 
talking  excitedly  all  the  time  about  the  Bansho  KAvan, 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


95 


where  he  said  there  had  been  a wedding  feast,  and  just 
a little  — oh!  very  little  — sake  for  everybody.  And, 
indeed,  he  did  not  care  to  go  away,  although  such 
honourable  persons  deigned  to  accompany  him ; for  this 
was  better  than  the  Bansho  Kwan  — much  better  than 
the  Bansho  Kwan.  His  voice  died  off  in  the  distance ; 
and  in  about  ten  minutes  our  men  came  back,  saying 
that  they  had  put  him  in  the  right  j^ath,  and  he  could 
make  no  mistakes  now ; besides,  it  was  beginning  to 
rain,  and  that  would  sober  him,  they  thought. 

The  rain  did  not  touch  us  under  our  broad  verandah, 
so  we  sat  on  for  some  time,  talking  of  everything  under 
the  sun,  and  unwilling  to  go  and  sit  near  the  hot  lamps 
in  the  drawing-room.  The  rain  fell  in  soft  splashes  in 
our  pond,  and  the  trees  began  to  talk,  as  they  always 
do  when  there  is  rain  enough  to  drop  from  branch  to 
branch.  The  air  was  almost  too  sweet  from  the  masses 
of  Lilium  auratum,  which  mark  our  real  midsummer  in 
the  hills.  The  gardener  stands  them,  in  huge  sheaves, 
in  straight  jars  a yard  high,  in  the  doorways  and 
verandahs ; and  we  were  telling  wonderful  tales  of 
pink  lilies,  brown  lilies,  yellow  lilies,  when  — that  same 
crazy  lantern  appeared  coming  towards  the  house,  still 
more  erratically  than  before.  As  it  approached,  the 
sound  of  heavy  steps  dragging  over  the  wet  pebbles 
made  itself  heard  between  some  indistinct  remarks 
about  the  Bansho  Kwan  — our  friend  the  charcoal- 
burner  again  1 He  was  much  tipsier  than  he  had  been 
an  hour  before,  and  came  with  something  of  a swagger 
up  the  wet,  slippery  path. 


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LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


‘^Good  house  — much  rain  — very  wet.  This  is  a 
bright  house,  good  for  a man  to  stay  in  — much  better 
than  the  Bansho  Kwan ! ” 

Go  home  at  once,”  said  Mr.  G , who  thought 

he  was  not  so  tipsy  as  he  seemed.  You  must  have 

been  drinking  a great  deal  of  sake  not  to  know  that 
you  are  making  a mistake.” 

A mistake  no  crime,”  replied  the  charcoal-burner. 

No  ” (this  to  Rinzo,  who  took  his  arm),  I will  not  go 
away ; why  should  a poor  man  be  sent  away  ? Why 
should  a poor  man  be  scolded  because  he  loses  his 
way  ? Is  it  a crime  to  lose  one’s  way  ? Oh  no ! I 
will  stay  here  — here  ! ” 

The  servants  were  just  about  to  remove  him  firmly, 
in  spite  of  his  violent  protestations,  when  Furihata’s 
highly  official  lantern  marched  quickly  up  the  path ; and 
at  the  sight  of  his  caj)  and  white  gloves  the  poor  tipsy 
intruder  collapsed,  and  began  to  weep  over  his  pitiful 
fate.  He  was  carried  off  at  last,  still  wailing  about  the 
nice  house  that  was  so  very  much  better  than  the 
Bansho  Kwan ; and  when  the  servants  returned,  they 
said  that  the  stern  Furihata  had  put  the  poor  sinner 
comfortably  to  bed  on  the  mats  of  the  police  station, 
where,  as  I was  afterwards  told,  he  woke  up  good  and 
happy  the  next  morning,  and  got  home  successfully  by 
daylight. 

Our  garden  entrance  looks  so  like  a piece  of  the  road, 
that  strangers  and  pilgrims  constantly  turn  into  it,  and 
come  wandering  up  to  the  house,  which  some  of  them 
take  for  a foreign  hotel.  One  evening,  when  we  re- 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


97 


turned  very  late  from  some  expedition,  we  were  told 
that  two  English  gentlemen,  riding  down  the  pass,  had 
entered  the  house,  and  ordered  two  bedrooms  and  din- 
ner ; they  took  Dinsmore  for  the  proprietor,  and  were 
greatly  overcome  when  they 
found  that  they  had  invaded  a 
fellow-countryman’s  private 
castle.  Some  friends  of  ours, 
who  have  built  a charming  cot- 
tage at  Chusenji,  above  Nikko, 
told  me  that  last  summer  two 
hot  and  weary  Englishmen  burst 
into  their  house,  and  informed 
the  astonished  servant  that  break- 
fast for  twelve  people  must  be 
ready  in  half  an  hour;  the  rest 
of  the  party  were  on  the  road. 

They  would  have  an  omelette, 
beefsteaks,  Kirin  beer,  and  I 
know  not  how  much  more.  But 
by  the  time  they  had  gone  into 
these  details,  the  Japanese  ^^boy” 
had  remembered  three  words  of 
English.  He  bowed  politely,  and  then  said,  This  — 
European  — house  ! ” The  unlucky  intruders  fled  with- 
out saying  another  word,  and  probably  found  all  they 
wanted  at  the  excellent  inn  a few  hundred  yards  farther 
up  the  path. 

Since  I have  spoken  of  the  pilgrims,  let  me  tell 
you  something  about  them  ; for  they  go  by  us  in  great 


dhArmi,  a sage  who 

FLOATED  TO  JAPAX 
THROUGH  THE  WATER 


VOL.  II 


H 


98 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


bands  at  this  time  of  year,  and  are  certainly  the  most 
picturesque  and  cheery  devotees  that  ever  walked.  On 
the  road  that  leads  up  the  pass,  there  is  a spot  where 
an  old  tree  has  fallen,  and  makes  a pleasant  seat. 
Beyond,  the  path  is  steeper,  and  turns  in  to  follow  the 
trend  of  a gorge  whose  sides  are  all  a tangle  of  wild 
forest.  Sitting  here  to  rest  in  the  breathless  afternoon, 
we  hear  the  phantom  of  a sound,  the  tinkle  of  a bell 
so  far  off  on  the  hillside  that  it  sounds  unreal,  inter- 
mittent, and  we  strain  our  ears  to  catch  it  again.  Yes, 
it  is  a little  nearer  now  — now  nearer  still.  A little 
farther  up,  the  road  is  broken  by  the  storms ; and  now 
passing  feet  are  sending  the  loose  rubble  leaping  down 
the  slope  in  little  showers.  Now  a chant  is  wafted  to 
us,  with  the  deep  note  of  the  bell ; and  in  a moment  a 
strange-looking  train  comes  out  of  the  green  leafage 
and  winds  down  the  hill.  There  are  nine  of  them  to- 
day, and  they  are  bound  for  Zenkogi,  the  great  Temple 
at  Nagano ; their  dress  is  that  of  pilgrims  who  ascend 
the  holy  mountains ; and  there  are  no  women  among 
them.  The  foremost  is  a tall  handsome  man,  who 
carries  a straight  wooden  standard,  with  strange  char- 
acters painted  black  on  its  whiteness.  He,  like  all 
those  who  follow  him,  is  dressed  in  pure  white,  with 
sacred  characters  printed  on  the  cotton.  The  close- 
fitting  leggings  are  white  too,  and  finish  with  tahi  and 
straw  sandals,  ivaraji,  which  may  be  bought  for  next  to 
nothing  at  every  tea-house,  and  are  seldom  worn  more 
than  through  one  day’s  march.  The  pilgrim’s  robe  is 
closely  kilted  up  through  his  cotton  girdle,  which,  tight 


PILGRIMS 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


101 


as  it  is,  holds  his  money,  his  pipe,  and  any  other  valu- 
aldes  that  he  must  carry.  To  the  belt  is  attached  that 
soft  tinkling  bell  which  gave  ns  the  signal  of  his  com- 
ing ; and  on  his  head  is  a huge  mushroom  hat,  made  of 
lightest  pith  or  shavings,  and  resting  over,  but  not  on, 
the  head  by  means  of  a bamboo  circle,  from  which 
spring  light  supports,  so  that  the  air  passes  in  under 
the  white  umbrella.  The  hat  is  marked  with  the  same 
ideograph  that  is  stamped  on  his  clothes,  probably  the 
name  of  the  pilgrim  club  of  his  village  or  district ; and 
on  his  shoulders  he  wears  a piece  of  matting,  which 
hangs  round  his  neck  by  a string.  This  is  his  rain- 
cloak,  his  seat,  his  bed,  and  is  called  the  goza.  Then 
in  his  hand  he  carries  a staff,  with  several  names 
burnt  into  it  — the-  names  of  the  shrines  he  has  vis- 
ited ; and  a flask  hangs  at  his  side,  in  which  he  can 
bring  home  some  of  the  water  of  a sacred  lake  or 
pond,  such  as  many  of  the  sanctuaries  ]30ssess.  His 
sleeves  are  as  tightly  tied  up  as  his  skirts ; and  al- 
though the  costume  may  sound  strange  thus  described 
in  detail,  yet  nothing  could  look  lighter  or  be  more 
appropriate  for  the  purpose  of  long  walking  in  the 
heat. 

I have  described  one  man’s  dress,  and  have  thus 
described  the  rest ; for  they  are  all  alike,  this  being 
the  prescribed  uniform  for  climbing  the  high  and  holy 
peaks.  The  train  looked  wonderfully  cool  and  pictu- 
resque coming  out  from  the  green  foliage  of  the  woods. 
The  first  man  had  a handsome  face,  very  bronzed  and 
healthy,  with  bright  eyes,  which  glanced  curiously  at  us. 


102 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


although  he  did  not  break  off  the  chant  in  which  he 
was  leading  the  rest — a chant  which  is  a constant 
repetition  of  one  phrase : Rokkon  Sbojo,  Oyama 

Kaisei”  (May  our  six  senses  be  pure,  and  honourable 
mountain  weather  fine).  Behind  him  came  a boy; 
then  an  old  man,  who  must  have  made  many  pilgrim- 
ages, and  is  perhaps  near  the  last  of  all;  then  a pros- 
perous-looking tradesman ; after  him  an  ascetic,  with 
pale  face  and  immovable  expression.  The  pilgrim  club 
sends  people  from  the  counter  and  the  factory,  as  well 
as  from  the  farm  and  the  rice-field,  to  tramp  the  holy 
roads  together,  and  bring  back  blessings  for  the  rest 
of  the  villagers  or  townsfolk,  too  busy  or  too  old  or 
too  weak  to  perform  the  pilgrimage  for  themselves. 

The  pilgrim  clubs  are  institutions  existing  all  through 
the  country,  to  enable  even  the  very  poor  to  visit  holy 
places,  and  to  get  an  immense  amount  of  change  and 
amusement  and  interest  on  the  way.  Hundreds  of 
people  (and  often  thousands)  belong  to  a club,  which 
can  be  started  anywhere  by  anybody  who  chooses  to 
obtain  permission  to  do  so  from  the  authorities  of  his 
particular  sect  (and  sects  are  numberless),  and  who  has 
the  energy  or  the  necessary  personality  to  get  his 
friends  to  join  him.  A tiny  entrance  fee  of  a few  cents 
is  required,  and  the  subscription  varies  from  eight  to 
fifteen  cents  a year.  When  all  the  expenses  are  paid, 
the  remaining  money  is  raffled  for,  and  the  winners 
(perhaps  2 or  3 per  cent,  of  the  whole  number)  spend 
their  gains  on  the  pilgrimage ; but  no  one  is  debarred 
from  going  at  his  own  expense  if  he  pleases.  The 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


103 


president  of  the  club  is  always  the  leader,  and  his 
expenses  are  paid  as  a matter  of  course.  He  knows 
the  road,  he  knows  the  shrines  and  the  priests  and  the 
innkeepers ; but  he  is  not  required  to  see  to  actual 
payments,  a treasurer  being  elected,  who  has  to  give  an 
account  of  all  these.  The  inns  take  pilgrims  at  reduced 
prices,  and  the  cost  of  even  a very  long  expedition  is 
so  tiny  that  we  Europeans  in  our  stupid  vulgar  ex- 
travagance would  hardly  know  that  we  had  spent  it 
at  all.  It  is  a matter  of  cents,  and  yet  the  Japanese 
manages  to  get  weeks  of  travelling  on  it,  to  visit  one 
holy  or  historical  spot  (it  is  the  same  thing  very  often 
in  his  country)  after  another,  and  to  make  acquaintance 
with  endless  numbers  of  his  countrymen,  all  bound, 
during  the  few  summer  weeks  of  pilgrimage-time,  on 
the  same  errand. 

As  the  pilgrimages  are  really  made  on  foot,  of 
course  the  summer  months  are  usually  chosen,  as  the 
fine  weather  and  long  days  add  greatly  to  the  pleasure 
of  tramping  through  the  country;  indeed,  the  shrines 
on  the  peaks  can  only  be  visited  between  the  middle 
of  July  and  the  beginning  of  September.  Then  the 
rest-houses  are  opened,  the  roads  have  been  mended, 
the  tea-houses  are  all  ready  to  receive  the  guests,  and 
the  mountain  is  called  open.”  There  are  many  holy 
peaks;  but  of  all,  Fuji  is  the  greatest,  and  the  ascent 
the  most  painful.  Women  belong  to  the  pilgrim  clubs, 
and  have  also  clubs  of  their  own  ; but  they  are  not 
allowed  (were  not  would  be  a better  word)  to  mount  to 
the  summit.  They  were  considered  too  common,  made 


104 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


of  too  base  a stuff,  to  tread  the  sacred  ground  of  the 
mountain’s  crest,  and  were  stopped  at  some  distance 


from  it ; and  in 
consecpience  they 
flocked  to  the  low- 
land shrines, 
where  they  are 
welcomed  and 
made  to  feel  at 
home.  They  travel 
constantly  to  the 
great  Temple  of 
Zenkogi,  which 
lies  to  our  west 
in  the  town  of 
Nagano ; and  to 
judge  by  their 
beaming  faces  and 
happy  chatter, 
they  must  enjoy 
the  expedition 
mightily,  though 
most  of  them  are 
old  and  grey,  hav- 
ing handed  over 

AN  OLD  WOMAN  PILGRIM  , i i i , 

household  cares  to 

the  usefnl  daughter-in-law,  and  feeling  now  free  to 
attend  to  their  souls  and  their  amusement.  I once 
asked  one  of  our  servants  about  his  mother  — how  she 
passed  her  time,  what  her  occupations  were.  No 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAEAX 


105 


work ; she  not  work  now  — too  much  old ! Little 

temple  go,  little  theatre  go  — very  happy!” 

The  O’Bassans  ” of  the  pilgrim  parties  are  often 
accompanied  by  a grandchild,  a bright  little  maid  of 
twelve  or  thirteen,  who  waits  on  her  grandmother,  and 
stares  amazed  at  barbarians  like  ourselves.  It  is  sur- 
prising to  find  how  far  these  old  women  and  little 
girls  can  walk,  carrying  all  their  baggage  in  humble 
bundles  — such  tiny  bundles  1 Some  of  them  seem  to 
be  as  little  troubled  with  luggage  as  a migrating  swal- 
low. 

So  in  the  pleasant  summer-time,  through  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  the  roads  are  all  alive  with 
gay  parties  of  people  visiting  the  shrines  of  their  own 
sect,  and  then  those  of  any  other  sects  which  seem 
attractive  or  profitable.  For  in  the  curiously  mixed 
condition  of  religious  ideas,  sect  becomes  confused  with 
sect,  not  in  principle,  but  in  personality  ; for  a person 
may  belong  to  more  than  one  at  a time  without  preju- 
dice to  either.  Some  pious  persons  spend  their  whole 
time  in  making  pilgrimages ; but  I must  say  that  this 
kind  of  piety  does  not  seem  to  interfere  with  their 
catching  cheerfully  at  every  straw  of  amusement  that 
comes  along.  There  is  also,  I fancy,  much  respect 
and  consideration  shown  to  pilgrims  after  they  return 
to  their  own  villages,  and  for  all  their  lives  they  will 
rank  hio^her  in  their  townsmen’s  estimation  than  the 
people  who  have  never  performed  them.  A pilgrimage 
confers  a kind  of  diploma  of  holiness,  and  is  also  a 
claim  on  the  gratitude  of  the  stayers  at  home,  since 


106 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


it  is  hoped  that  the  blessings  prayed  for  by  two  or 
three  at  the  distant  shrine  will  descend  individually 
and  richly  on  the  generous  subscribers  who  enabled 
them  to  visit  the  sanctuary. 

Very  different  are  the  laughing  bands  of  the 
Japanese  pilgrim  clubs  to  the  companies  one  meets 
just  across  the  water,  in  China,  where  people  never 
laugh.  There  is  an  eminently  holy  temple  near 
Ningpo,  where  day  after  day,  year  after  year,  tottering 
painfully  on  the  horrible  swollen  hoofs  which  are  the 
inevitable  evolution  in  age  of  the  ‘^golden  lilies,”  the 
broken  feet  of  childhood,  bands  of  forlorn  old  women 
come  with  prayers  and  tears  to  entreat  the  merciful 
gods  that  in  their  next  transmigration  their  crushed 
womanhood  may  be  laid  aside,  and  that  they  may 
return  — as  men. 

AVe  stood  aside  one  day  to  let  some  pilgrims  pass 
us  on  the  road.  One  of  the  men  could  hardly  get 
past  me  at  all,  overcome  with  amazement  at  his  first 
sight  of  a blue-eyed  creature  in  strange  garments,  the 
foreign  barbarian  woman.  The  road  was  rough,  and 
he  stumbled  heavily  almost  at  my  feet.  His  com- 
panion laughed  heartily.  That  is  what  comes  of 
staring  at  the  elder  sister!”  he  cried;  but  the  aston- 
ished one  picked  himself  up,  passed  on  and  out  of 
sight  with  his  head  turned  and  his  eyes  still  fixed  on 
myself,  as  if  expecting  to  see  me  turn  into  a fox  on 
the  spot,  or  send  my  head  after  him  like  the  snake- 
woman  of  the  Japanese  ghost  story. 

We  had  a visit  from  a dear  old  woman  pilgrim 


LETTERS  ERO:\r  JAPAN 


107 


one  day,  as  we  were  sitting  at  afternoon  tea  out  of 
doors.  She  was  very  old,  and  partially  blind;  but  in 
spite  of  this  was  evidently  the  leader  of  two  younger 
women  who  accompanied  her.  They  were  all  peasants, 
burnt  in  face  and  limb  from  long  standing  in  the 
rice-fields  under  the  scorching  sun.  The  old  lady  had 
her  skirts  kilted  very  high,  and  a blue  towel  tied 
coquettishly  round  her  head.  As  she  came  up  the 
path,  she  seemed  to  share  the  feelings  of  the  lost 
charcoal-burner;  for  she  kept  exclaiming,  ^^How  beau- 
tiful, how  grand ! Whose  is  this  honourable  beautiful 
house  ? ” The  servant  explained ; and  then  she  said 
that  it  was  the  first  time  she  had  seen  a foreign 
house,  or  garden  : might  she  humbly  ask  that  she  and 
her  companions  should  be  allowed  to  stay  a little  and 
look  at  it  ? Of  course  she  might ! So  she  went  over 
the  funny  little  domain,  and  looked  with  the  greatest 
interest  at  the  cooking  arrangements,  and  inquired  if 
that  honourable  animal  (the  Brown  Ambassador)  with 
the  honourably  long  tail  were  really  an  honourable 
dog  ? Makotoni  ? Sodeska  ? What  great  and  wonder- 
ful people  these  honourable  foreigners  are,  to  be  sure ! 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


THE  AUTUMN  TYPHOON. — THE  LOSS  OF  THE  ERTOGROUL.” 
LEGENDS  OF  FUJI.  — THE  GREAT  UPHEAVAL.  — CHI- 
NESE TRADITION  AND  THE  SACRED  MOUNTAIN.  — THE 
STORY  OF  JOFUKU.  — THE  LOTUS  PEAK 


UR  return  to  Tokyo  was  followed  by  the  usual 


autumn  typhoon,  more  destructive  than  ever  this 
year.  The  catastrophe  which  has  saddened  us  most 
was  the  loss  of  the  Ertogroul^  a Turkish  battle-ship, 
which  went  down  with  the  admiral  and  five  hundred  and 
fifty  men.  The  poor  admiral  was  always  afraid  that 
something  w^ould  happen  to  his  horrible  old  tub  with 
her  worn-out  engines,  and  only  a short  time  ago  was 
heard  to  say  that  she  could  not  possibly  live  through 
a bad  typhoon.  He  had  warned  the  authorities  at  home 
of  the  state  of  the  vessel,  and  solemnly  rejected  any 
responsibility  for  what  might  occur.  He  was  a charming 
man,  and  had  made  himself  so  much  liked  here  that  the 
tragedy  has  cast  quite  a gloom  over  our  small  circle. 
He  had  fifty  cadets  on  board,  and  they  were  all  lost. 
About  sixty  of  the  men  were  rescued,  and  have  been 
treated  with  the  greatest  kindness  by  the  Japanese.  A 
Russian  man-of-war  offered  to  take  the  poor  fellows 


Tokyo,  October,  1890. 


108 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


109 


home,  and  the  offer  was  accepted  by  the  Cabinet,  and 
went  up  to  the  Emperor  to  be  approved.  To  every  one’s 
surprise,  the  Emperor  was  most  indignant ; the  men, 
he  said,  were  his  guests,  and  as  such  they  should  be 
taken  home  in  one  of  his  own  battle-ships  with  all  the 
honours.  This  is  accordingly  to  be  done.  Our  own 
fleet  gathers  in  force  just  at  this  time,  before  going  south 
into  winter  quarters,  and  we  have  been  very  busy.  It 
is  rather  an  imposing  sight,  when  the  European  squad- 
rons are  all  gathered  in  Yokohama  Harbour. 

I am  always  glad  to  return  to  Tokyo,  and  to  greet 
Fuji  San  from  my  windows  once  more.  With  all  the 
splendid  scenery  of  the  hills,  I miss  the  great  white 
mountain  when  we  are  in  Karuizawa,  and  feel  more  at 
home  in  Japan  when  its  perfect  outline  is  the  first  thing 
I see  in  the  morning,  the  last  at  night.  There  are 
a thousand  beautiful  stories  told  about  the  mountain  ; 
they  hang  round  its  name  as  the  mists  hang  round  its 
feet,  and  the  love  and  reverence  of  a hundred  centuries 
have  wrapped  it  in  a mystic  robe  of  holiness,  so  that 
to  look  at  it  is  to  have  the  mind  raised  to  higher  things, 
whether  one  will  or  no. 

There  is  a strange  legend  of  the  origin  of  Fuji,  which 
connects  it  with  Lake  Biwa,  the  Lake  of  the  Lute,  a 
hundred  and  thirty  miles  distant,  in  the  province  of 
Omi.  Many  a pleasure-boat  full  of  laughing  girls  glides 
over  its  surface  in  the  harvest  moonlight ; and  the  girls 
slip  back  their  long  sleeves,  and,  leaning  over  the  side, 
gather  the  water  in  the  palms  of  their  hands,  and  let  it 
slide  through  their  fingers,  or  throw  it  in  silver  showers 


110 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


on  the  dusky  face  of  the  night,  each  saying  in  her 
heart,  Now  are  my  hands  full  of  the  sacred  snows  of 
Fuji  San ! ” And  perhaps  at  the  same  moment,  far  away 
in  Ilakone,  a gyoja,  or  mountain-worshipper,  standing 
on  Fuji’s  crest  after  a long  day’s  climbing,  stoops  and 
takes  up  a handful  of  snow,  and  bathes  his  face  with  its 
whiteness,  crying  out,  Now  am  I washing  in  the  holy 
water  of  Lake  Biwa ! ” 

And  to  understand  the  legend  we  must  go  back 
to  the  dawn  of  time.  Many  gods  had  there  been  in 
reed-grown  Japan ; but  they  were  not  immortal,  and 
faded  away  with  the  fading  seasons,  scattered  on  the 
air  as  the  soft-blown  down  is  scattered  when  rush-heads 
break  their  velvet  coverings  and  a million  winged 
seedlings  wanton  in  the  breeze.  But  at  last  came  the 
god  Izanami,  and  he  said,  Where  now  all  is  water 
among  the  reeds,  we  will  make  dry  land  ! ” So,  stand- 
ing on  the  sevenfold  radiance  of  the  Bridge  of  Heaven, 
which  we  call  the  rainbow,  Izanami  plunged  his  coral- 
pointed  spear  down,  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea; 
and  when  he  drew  it  up  again,  little  portions  of  sand 
and  mud  were  hanging  on  it.  These  he  threw  on  the 
reed-grown  land,  the  land  of  twilight  and  water  shadows 
and  changing  lights,  where  the  moon  danced  among 
the  reeds,  and  the  sun  stayed  not,  since  there  was 
nought  for  him  to  ripen  in  that  bowl  of  tears.  So 
Izanami  shook  the  sea  relics  from  his  spear,  and  they 
spread  out  in  the  form  of  a dragon-fly,  and  made  fair 
dry  country,  full  of  rich  growths,  and  smiling  in  the 
sun.  Then  the  god  said : It  is  well ; and  these  green 


PLEASURE  150 ATS  OX  THE  LAKE 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


113 


lands  shall  be  called  Akitsusu,  the  Islands  of  the  Dragon- 
Fly.  Now  let  us  hll  them  with  men,  like  ourselves,  but 
not  immortal.” 

Then  he  called  the  great  goddess  Izanagi,  his  con- 
sort, and  she  came  willingly  at  the  sound  of  his  voice 
out  of  her  house  among  the  stars ; and  he  said  to  her. 
Come,  and  behold  the  country  I have  made.”  And 
together  they  descended  to  the  land,  and  separated, 
Izanami  walking  towards  the  sun,  and  Izanagi  towards 
the  moon ; and  they  met,  face  to  face,  after  walking  for 
many  days.  And  Izanagi,  rejoiced  to  see  her  Lord  after 
the  days  of  loneliness,  leaped  forward  towards  him, 
crying  out,  Oh,  joy  to  behold  the  beautiful  god  ! ” But 
her  husband  was  displeased,  and  said,  “ Dost  thou  speak 
first?  That  is  unfitting  in  a woman.  Walk  round  the 
islands  once  more,  and  repent  thy  immodesty ! ” So, 
weeping,  Izanagi  passed  him,  and  walked  many  days, 
weeping  at  his  rebuff ; and  because  of  her  copious  tears 
Akitsusu  is  a land  of  many  streams  and  wet  fields.  And 
she  said  in  her  heart : Is  not  my  Lord  right  ? Never 

shall  he  reproach  me  again  ! ” And  at  last  they  met, 
face  to  face,  in  a green  meadow,  at  the  time  of  the 
sunrising.  And  Izanagi  stood  still,  and  the  dawn  mists 
were  round  her  feet,  and  the  sunrise  on  her  brow ; and 
she  bowed  her  head  in  reverence.  And  her  husband, 
seeing  her  submission  and  modesty,  sprang  towards  her, 
crying  out,  Now,  indeed,  do  I behold  a beauteous 
woman  ! ” And  Izanagi  wept  no  more,  but  smiled  on 
the  wise  god  her  husband;  and  he  and  she  remained 
in  the  new  country  until  she  had  borne  him  many  sons 


VOL.  II 


I 


114 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  daughters, 
and  the  land 
was  peopled 
with  their  chil- 
dren, to  whom 
they  taught  the 
true  wisdom  of 
the  gods. 

At  that  time 
the  land  was  all 
one  great  plain, 
and  there  were 
no  mountains 
and  no  lakes. 
W here  the 
water  lay,  the 
people  made 
rich  rice-fields ; 
and  where  the 
soil  was  dry, 
grew  splendid 
forests;  and  all 
the  foundations 
of  the  coun- 
try were  bound 
together  in 
strength  by  wist- 
aria roots,  which 
stretch  but  break  not.  And  at  last  Izanami  and  Izanagi 
said  farewell  to  their  children,  and  sailed  away  to  found 


IN  THE  LAND  OF  REEDS  AND  SHADOWS 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


115 


and  people  other  lands.  Centuries  brought  more  and 
more  power  and  splendour  to  the  Islands  of  the  Dragon- 
Fly,  and  then  — the  great  earthquake  came.  One  night 
the  world  was  shaken  to  its  foundations ; all  its  bands 
of  roots  and  armour  of  rocks  could  hold  it  together  no 
longer.  The  sea  seemed  to  be  pouring  down  upon  it 
from  the  sky ; the  sound  of  the  storm  was  as  the  battling 
of  dragons;  darkness  lay  on  the  land,  and  black  fear  on 
the  hearts  of  the  people.  That  night  seemed  to  them 
longer  than  a year  of  famine ; and  when  morning  dawned 
at  last,  many  a head  was  white  which  had  shone  black 
the  day  before.  But  the  morning  was  clear  and  peaceful, 
and  Amaterasu,  the  sun-goddess,  smiled  on  earth  and 
sea,  making  all  things  white-faced  in  her  shining.  The 
people  of  Omi  went  out  over  the  plain  to  till  their 
rice-fields  as  usual,  and  as  they  Avent  they  shook  their 
heads,  fearing  to  find  much  damage  done  to  the  tender 
rice ; but  when  they  came  to  where  yesterday  had  seen 
rice-fields  spread  in  the  sun,  a great  wonder  met  their 
eyes.  No  fields  Avere  there;  in  their  stead  a great  lake, 
sixty  miles  long,  and  shaped  like  a lute,  lay  dimpling  in 
the  morning  light.  Had  a piece  of  the  blue  field  of 
heaAmn  fallen  there  in  the  storm,  or  had  the  ocean  crept 
in  from  the  far  coast  and  hollowed  a bed  for  itself  out  of 
the  heart  of  Omi  ? Who  could  say  ? There  lay  the  blue 
jeAvel  for  all  the  world  to  see,  and  the  people  came  from 
far  and  near  to  gaze  on  it ; its  depths  were  full  of  fish, 
and  toAvns  and  hamlets  soon  grew  up  on  its  shores. 
Great  wealth  came  into  Omi;  and  because  of  its  strange 
shape  the  lake  was  called  Biwa,  the  Lake  of  the  Lute. 


116 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


But  the  great  storm  had  not  raged  in  Oini  alone. 
Far  away  in  Hakone  the  earthquake  and  the  hurricane 
had  been  as  terrible  as  in  the  more  southern  ])rovince. 


FUJIYAMA  FROM  HAKONE  LAKE 


The  people  in  Hakone  had  prayed  and  wept  through 
the  long  dark  hours,  and  many  a home  was  shattered 
by  the  earthquake,  many  a farm  devastated  by  the 
tempest.  But  peace  came  with  the  morning  to  Hakone 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


117 


as  it  had  come  to  Omi ; and  when  the  sun  rose,  it  shone 
on  a glorious  mountain,  marble  pure,  perfect  in  majestic 
symmetry,  Fujiyama.  At  first  they  too  thought  they 
beheld  the  vision  of  a dream,  a cloud  picture  that  the 
noon  would  melt.  But  the  dazzling  cone  changed  not, 
though  all  around  it  changed.  The  clouds  that  lay  at 
its  foot  would  rise  and  veil  its  splendour  for  an  hour, 
then  they  passed  away;  but  the  new  glory  remained. 
By  day  it  towered  against  the  blue,  by  night  the  white 
crown  seemed  wreathed  in  stars  from  the  Milky  Way. 
The  land  which  some  god  had  scooped  in  the  hollow  of 
his  hand  from  Omi  he  had  built  up  in  a lordly  mountain 
in  Suruya. 

Its  fame  went  forth  even  across  the  stormy  sea  to 
China  and  Corea.  In  the  oldest  Chinese  books  there 
is  frequent  mention  of  Horaisan,  a sacred  mountain  of 
perfect  beauty  and  shining  whiteness,  which  was  said 
to  rise  out  of  the  Eastern  Ocean.  The  word  passed 
over  to  Japan  with  other  Chinese  lore  in  time ; it  came 
with  the  meaning  which  it  then  bore  in  China,  Elysium, 
the  Land  of  Happy  Souls,  Paradise,  and  has  kept  that 
meaning  in  Japan,  where  the  name  is  in  no  way  con- 
nected with  Fujiyama.  It  occurs  in  congratulatory 
odes,  and  also  in  Japanese  fairy  tales,  always  in  this 
sense.  It  is  said  that  only  of  late  years  has  the  original 
allusion  to  Fujiyama  been  traced  by  Japanese  men  of 
letters. 

In  China  wonderful  stories  were  told  about  the  half- 
mythical  Horaisan.  It  was  said  to  be  inhabited  by  a 
number  of  holy  hermits,  and  that  whoever  climbed  to 


118 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


its  summit  would  live  for  ever,  immortal,  untouched 
by  death  or  decay.  And  a quaint  story  shows  how 
profound  this  belief  was.  The  Emperor  Sbin-no-shiko, 
who  reigned  in  China  some  two  thousand  years  ago,  had 
everything  that  this  world  can  give  — empire,  riches, 
beautiful  children,  perfect  health.  And  all  this  was  as 
poison  to  him,  because  he  knew  that  he  must  die  and 
leave  it  all  behind.  Night  and  day  death  was  before 
him,  as  a patient  enemy  who  could  bear  to  wait  because 
he  must  win  at  the  last.  And  Shin-no-shiko  vowed  that 
he  would  overcome  death ; and  he  sent  for  all  the  wise 
men  in  the  country,  and  spent  enormous  sums  on  trying 
to  discover  the  elixir  of  life,  and  offered  untold  treasure 
to  any  one  who  could  help  him  to  find  it. 

And  many  came ; but  all  their  prescriptions  seemed 
worthless,  since  those  slaves  on  whom  they  were  tried 
died  unresistingly  when  Shin-no-shiko  nodded  to  his 
green  bannermen  to  slay  them.  He  was  almost  in 
despair,  and  used  to  wander  through  the  golden  courts 
of  his  Palace  and  about  his  magnificent  hunting-park 
always  with  the  thought  of  death  in  his  heart,  and  he 
became  morose  and  cruel,  and  was  a terror  to  all.  But 
at  last  there  came  a very  wise  man  called  Jofuku,  saying 
that  in  truth  the  other  wise  men  were  all  fools,  but  that 
he,  and  he  alone,  could  tell  the  Emperor  where  to  obtain 
that  for  which  he  longed.  He  seemed  so  sure  of  success 
that  the  Emperor  began  to  hope  again,  and  sent  for 
him  at  once.  Then  Jofuku  told  him  that  the  hermits 
of  the  Holy  White  Mountain  in  the  Eastern  Sea  pos- 
sessed the  water  of  life,  and  that  to  them  the  Emperor 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


119 


must  send  a mission  begging  them  to  give  him  a little, 
so  that  he  might  live  for  ever. 

Then  Shin-no-shiko  rejoiced  greatly,  thinking  that 
immortality  was  his  at  last.  Jofuku  olfered  to  lead  the 
mission,  and  the  Emperor  gladly  promised  him  money 
and  ships  wherewith  to  reach  the  holy  mountain. 
Jofuku  asked  for  a thousand  of  the  most  beautiful  youths 
and  maidens  of  the  Empire  to  accompany  him,  in  order, 
as  he  said,  to  please  the  hermits;  and  he  also  took  a 
quantity  of  treasure  wherewith  to  reward  them  for  the 
elixir  of  life,  and  he  took,  apparently  without  asking 
the  Emperor’s  leave,  a great  number  of  learned  and 
sacred  books. 

. All  this  splendid  plunder  was  put  on  board  a fleet 
of  ships  which  Shin-no-shiko  fitted  out  for  the  crafty 
ambassador ; and  Jofuku  sailed  away,  to  the  land  of  the 
rising  sun  and  the  holy  mountain  — for  good  and  all. 
No  thought  of  returning  to  China  had  ever  been  in 
his  mind.  His  five  hundred  goodly  couples,  his  treasure, 
and  his  books  were  what  he  needed  for  the  founding 
of  a colony  in  the  country  over  tlie  waters,  and  the 
Emperor  waited  in  vain  to  see  him  sail  into  port  with 
the  elixir  of  life.  Too  late  he  found  that  he  had  been 
deceived,  and  in  his  rage  made  bonfires  of  all  the  learned 
books,  and  put  to  death  all  the  sages  of  his  empire. 

The  uneducated  are  more  easily  governed,”  ran  his 
proclamation ; and  terrible  was  the  destruction  which 
followed  it.  But  Jofuku  was  out  of  reach,  and  cared 
little  for  the  Emperor’s  wrath.  He  founded  a splendid 
colony  in  the  Japanese  province  of  Ki-shiu,  and  the 


120 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


valuable  books  which  he  stole  (as  if  foreseeing  Sliin-no- 
shiko’s  wholesale  destruction  of  learning)  are  to  this 
clay  the  envy  and  despair  of  Chinese  scholars. 

All  this  does  not  explain  why  the  white  and  holy 
Horaisan  of  Chinese  tradition  is  the  Fujiyama  of  Japa- 
nese reality.  As  there  are  no  less  than  twenty-eight 
characters  which  represent  various  meanings  of  the 
monosyllable  Fu  it  naturally  follows  that  there  is  great 
variety  in  the  characters  used  to  transcribe  the  beloved 
mountain’s  name.  The  word  yama  which  is  generally 
added  merely  means  mountain,  and  san  may  be  trans- 
lated either  as  a term  of  respect  or  as  the  Chinese  slian, 
mountain  or  hill.  The  name  has  many  forms;  but  Fuji 
San  is  the  one  I have  most  often  heard  used,  and 
there  is  no  authority  for  preferring  one  signification 
over  the  other.  When  it  is  written  ^ ll  it  means  not 
two,”  unequalled,  peerless ; the  characters  ^ 5£  signify 
deathless,  immortal,  and  are  connected  with  Jofuku’s 
story  of  the  elixir  of. life.  The  scholar  finds  a likeness 
in  Fuji’s  towering  height  to  the  superiority  of  the 
learned  over  the  rest  of  mankind,  and  writes  it  rich 
scholar.”  A young  ghd  in  her  father’s  garden,  so  the 
story  goes,  once  plucked  a handful  of  the  white  and 
purple  wistaria  blossom,  and  called  it  Fuji,  because  of 
its  likeness  to  the  holy  mountain  when  the  twilight 
hangs  a violet  veil  above  the  snows,  and  because  its 
peak  was  shaped  like  the  spotless  flower.  Then  she 
remembered  that  the  hair  of  a beautiful  woman  ought 
to  grow  in  points,  leaving  her  forehead  the  shape  of 
the  mountain.  So  she  felt  in  her  sash  for  her  little 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


121 


mirror,  and  pulled  it  out  of  its  embroidered  case,  and 
looked  at  herself  as  she  stood  in  the  sunshine  under  the 
wistaria  trails ; and  as  she  looked  in  the  mirror,  she  was 
so  surprised  at  the  gleaming  Avhiteness  of  her  forehead  in 
the  sun  that  she  raised  her  eyebrows  in  surprise,  and 
two  white  points  rose  towards  her  dark  hair,  and  she 
was  satisfied  because  her  forehead  was  white  and  shapely 


FUJIYAMA  FROM  IVVABUCIII 


as  the  holy  mountain ; and  from  that  time  the  ideal  femi- 
nine brow  is  called  Fuji  Bitcd,  the  Fuji  forehead.  And 
so  on,  for  indeed  the  legends  about  the  beloved  mountain 
are  endless  ; every  one  loves  it,  and  each  calls  it  that  which 
stands  highest  in  his  own  imagination.  The  true  origin 
of  the  name  is  probaljly  to  be  found  in  an  Ainu  word 
meaning  to  push  forth,”  a combination  alluding  either 
to  the  eruptions  of  the  volcano  in  past  times  or  to  the 
river  which  breaks  impetuously  from  the  mountain-side. 


122 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Fuji  San  is  sacred  to  many  gods,  even  as  it  goes 
by  many  names.  Pilgrims  of  every  sect  crowd  along 
its  steep  paths  in  the  summer  days,  and,  no  matter  how 
separated  on  other  points,  all  agree  that  it  is  a very 
holy  mountain ; and  I think  each  one,  while  smilingly 
tolerating  the  mistakes  of  his  neighbours,  feels  that  it  is 
the  home  of  one  of  his  own  deities  or  tutelary  spirits. 
It  is  dedicated  to  a goddess  — tradition  calls  her,  The 
Princess  who  makes  the  Blossoms  of  the  Trees  to 
flower ; ” but  in  spite  of  this  fact  the  ascent  was  for- 
bidden to  women  until  quite  lately.  It  is  a rough  and 
arduous  undertaking,  involving  a night  passed  in  the 
rude  shelter-hut  on  the  summit;  and  a young  Japanese 
friend  of  mine,  who  went  up  with  a party  of  Europeans, 
told  me  that  nothing  wonld  induce  her  to  go  through 
such  hardship  again.  I reminded  her  of  the  Japanese 
proverb,  There  are  two  kinds  of  fools : those  who 
have  never  ascended  Fuji,  and  those  who  have  ascended 
it  twice.” 

The  ordinary  pilgrim  must  not  be  confounded  with 
the  gyoja,  the  true  mountain-worshippers,  who  are  sup- 
posed to  practise  great  austerities,  and  to  lead  lives  of 
great  purity.  They  are  rather  despised  by  both  Bud- 
dhists and  Shintoists,  on  account  of  having  fallen  away 
from  what  is  called  the  right  teaching.  This  same  right 
teaching  must  be  either  very  easy  — or  very  difficult  — 
to  find  ; for  the  opposing  sects  have  all  taken  some  of 
each  other’s  dogmas  and  most  of  each  other’s  gods, 
so  that  to  an  unpractised  eye  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  distinguish  between  them,  except  in  the  shrines  of 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


123 


purified  Shinto/’  where  no  images  exist.  The  gydja 
is  chiefly  distinguished  as  an  ascetic,  who  has  so  far 
overcome  the  flesh  that  he  can  perform  amazing  feats 
like  those  of  the  yogi  of  Thibet.  It  is  rather  amusing 
to  find  that  one  of  his  chief  penances  is  reckoned  that 
of  bathing  in  cold  water  long  and  constantly ; he  must 
even  stand  under  waterfalls  in  the  mountain-paths  (a 
thing  which  I have  seen  Englishmen  do  for  coolness’ 
sake,  only  the  poor  gyoja  must  do  it  in  the  chill  hours 
before  dawn) ; and  the  colder  and  cleaner  he  is,  the 
more  elevated  does  he  become,  until  he  can  take  com- 
mand, as  it  were,  of  the  forces  of  nature.  He  is  not 
forbidden  to  marry,  but  may  not  look  boldly  at  any 
woman  whom  he  meets ; the  hardships  which  the  genial 
club  pilgrim  undergoes  in  laughing  company  for  a few 
weeks  in  the  summer  are  the  gydja  s life  portion ; the 
name  means  ^Hhe  man  of  austerities,”  but  his  sect  is 
called  Yama-bushi,”  the  mountain-worshippers.  The 
true  gydja  can  do  things  which  would  be  terribly  dis- 
tressing to  ordinary  humanity : he  can  stand  on  the 
narrowest  ledges  at  enormous  heights  without  feeling 
dizzy ; he  can  play  with  scalding  water  and  walk  over 
live  coals  unhurt ; he  can  mount  ladders  made  of  fine- 
edged  sword-blades  without  shedding  a drop  of  blood ; 
he  can  fast  beyond  the  limits  of  human  resistance ; he 
has  probably  climbed  every  sacred  peak  in  Japan,  and 
becomes  personally  possessed  of  the  gods  on  the  holy 
mountain  of  Ontake.  Fuji,  steep  and  cold,  has  no  ter- 
rors for  him,  and  doubtless  says  much  to  him  that  the 
ordinary  pilgrims  cannot  hear.  The  gydja  sees  Lake 


124 


LETTEKS  EROM  JAPAN 


Biwa  in  Fuji’s  snow ; the  gyoja  can  hear  when  the  alien 
grains  of  sand  and  dust  that  have  come  up  in  the 
sandals  of  the  pilgrims  go  racing  down  the  mountain- 
sides at  night,  true  to  the  mystic  law  which  says  that 
no  unconsecrated  soil  may  remain  on  the  bosom  of  the 
holy  mountain.  The  gyoja  will  tell  you  that,  of  all 
dreams,  the  dream  of  Fujiyama  is  the  most  splendidly 
auspicious. 

There  is  one  more  name  besides  those  which  I have 
enumerated,  and  to  my  mind  it  is  the  most  poetic  of  all 
the  titles  of  Fuji  San : tlie  Buddhists  call  it  the  Peak  of 
the  White  Lotus.  To  tliem  the  snow-crowned  mountain, 
rising  in  unsullied  purity  from  the  low  hills  around  it, 
was  the  symbol  of  the  white  lotus,  whose  foot  grows 
green  under  its  wide  leaves  in  the  stagnant  water,  while 
its  cup  of  breathless  white  holds  up  its  golden  heart,  its 
jewel,  to  the  sky  ; and  the  wonderful  symmetry  of  the 
mountain,  with  its  eight-sided  crater,  reminded  them  of 
the  eight-petalled  lotus  which  forms  * the  seat  of  the 
glorified  Buddha.  In  the  more  learned  odes,  the  moun- 
tain is  called  Fuyo  Ho,  the  Lotus  Peak;  and  the  Bud- 
dhists say  that  the  great  teacher,  Buddha  himself,  gave  it 
this  perfect  shape,  the  symbol  of  Nirvana’s  perfect  peace. 

So  the  queen  of  mountains  hangs  between  the  stars 
of  heaven  and  the  mists  of  earth,  dear  to  every  heart 
that  can  be  still  and  understand.  As  I said  once  before, 
Fuji  dominates  life  here  by  its  silent  beauty ; sorrow  is 
hushed,  longing  quieted,  strife  forgotten  in  its  presence, 
and  broad  rivers  of  peace  seem  to  flow  down  from  that 
changeless  home  of  peace,  the  Peak  of  the  White  Lotus. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  DIET.  — THE  -ATTACK  ON  THE  EUSSIAN 
LEGATION. — SOSHI  AT  OUR  OWN  GATES. — PRINCE  KO- 
MATSU AND  THE  GRAND  CROSS  OF  THE  BATH.  — THE 
IMPERIAL  CHRYSANTHEMUMS 


HE  month  of  maples,  chrysanthemums,  Imperial 


garden  parties,  the  beginning  of  our  queer  little 
gay  season,  has  been  marked  by  an  important  event, 
not  unaccompanied  by  disaster.  The  event  was  the 
opening  of  the  Diet  in  great  state  by  the  Emperor,  and 
the  disaster  — the  storming  of  the  Russian  Legation  the 
same  day.  The  inauguration  of  the  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment has  been  the  point  towards  which  great  prepara- 
tions and  precautions  have  been  tending  for  many 
months  past.  The  elections  took  place  quietly  and  suc- 
cessfully in  July,  when  we  were  in  Karuizawa ; the 
Japanese  are  a profoundly  lawful  people  (if  I may  use 
the  word  in  its  old  sense),  and  there  were  few  or  no 
disturbances.  Of  course  here  and  there  some  irregu- 
larities crept  into  the  proceedings,  and  one  or  two  elec- 
tions were  invalidated  on  account  of  bribery;  but  as 
those  things  are  not  unknown  in  England,  the  very 
cradle  of  representative  government,  we  must  not  be 


Tokyo,  November,  1890. 


125 


126 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


surprised  at  their  occurring  here  on  the  first  trial  of  the 
new  methods,  and  doubtless  many  a strange  scene  will 
be  witnessed  before  the  huge  unbroken  team  of  deputies 
settle  down  into  their  working  stride. 

The  present  Houses  of  Parliament  form  a group  of 
roomy  wooden  buildings,  intended  only  to  serve  until 
the  permanent  and  costly  erections  planned  for  the  pur- 
pose can  be  completed.  With  admirable  good  sense 
the  Government  decided  that,  until  the  needs  of  the 
Diet  had  been  shown  during  a working  session,  the 
permanent  Houses  for  its  accommodation  should  not 
be  put  in  hand,  and  also  that  no  national  vanity  should 
induce  them  to  spend  more  than  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary on  these  temporary  buildings.  A very  small  sum, 
80,000  yen,  was  voted  for  the  work ; but  as  it  went  on, 
various  portions  had  to  be  added  to  the  original  plan 
drawn  out  by  Stegmliller,  the  German  architect  to 
whom  the  task  had  been  entrusted,  and  the  final  cost 
has  proved  to  be  about  240,000  yen  (£24,000),  a small 
sum  when  one  considers  the  necessities  of  the  case. 
Although  carried  out  in  wood,  the  structure  is  dignified 
and  harmonious.  It  covers  a very  large  area;  is  sur- 
rounded, of  course,  by  a garden,  planted  with  full-grown 
trees ; and  contains  Chambers  of  Session  for  the  House  of 
Kepresentatives  and  the  House  of  Peers,  each  containing 
three  hundred  and  twenty-six  seats,  and  accommodation 
in  the  balconies  for  four  hundred  visitors.  Besides  the 
great  halls,  there  are  over  a hundred  rooms  fitted  up  as 
committee-rooms,  libraries,  and  so  forth ; fire-proof  ware- 
houses for  archives ; and  two  official  residences  for  the 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


127 


Chief  Secretaries  of  the  Upper  and  Lower  House.  Huge 
stacks  of  chimneys  show  that  the  wdnter  session  need 
not  be  a cold  one ; and  the  electric  light  is  used  here  as 
in  the  Palace.  The  decorations  are  in  such  beautiful 
colourings  (pale  rosy  terra-cotta,  dull  green,  and  rather 
dusky  gold)  that  the  absence  of  elaborate  ornament  is 
not  even  noticed ; and  certainly  the  comfort  of  the  mem- 


H.  I.  H.  PRINCE  FUSHIMI  NO  MIYA  H.  I.  H.  PRINCESS  FUSHIMI  NO  MIYA 

bers  has  been  carefully  consulted.  The  seats  and  desks 
look  most  inviting.  In  the  Chamber  of  the  Upper 
House,  above  and  behind  the  President’s  table,  a large 
alcove,  almost  like  a chancel,  has  been  built  into  the 
wall ; and  here  stands  the  throne,  where  the  Emperor 
will  sit  on  the  rare  occasions  when  he  attends  a ses- 
sion. The  President’s  seat  and  table  would  then  be 
removed,  and  the  sovereign  would  preside  alone  over 
his  lieges.  The  decoration  of  the  throne  place  is  most 


128 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


beautiful,  the  baldaclhno  and  drapings  of  heavy  Kyoto 
silks,  and  the  front  shut  in  by  a richly  carved  railing. 
When  the  Emperor  is  absent,  a curtain  is  drawn  across 
the  alcove,  and  the  view  of  the  throne  shut  out.  The 
Empress,  the  Imperial  Princes,  and  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
have  boxes,  made  as  comfortable  and  pretty  as  possible ; 
and  on  the  second  floor  a large  reception-room  for  the 
Emperor  is  built  over  the  entrance  hall,  and  opens  on 
a balcony,  where  he  can  step  out  and  show  himself  to 
the  people  if  necessary. 

There  had  been  some  delay  about  the  opening 
ceremony,  arising  from  the  fact  that  the  whole  organi- 
sation of  the  Diet  had  to  be  elaborated  before  it  could 
take  place.  When  the  day  came,  the  excitement  was 
intense ; although,  apart  from  the  invitations  sent  to 
the  heads  of  missions,  and  other  offlcials,  only  the  most 
tardy  announcement  had  appeared  as  to  the  hour  wdien 
the  Emperor  would  leave  the  Palace.  From  early 
morning  the  streets  were  crowded  with  people,  and  the 
great  open  spaces  round  the  Houses  of  Parliament  w^ere 
packed  with  dense  crowds,  such  as  always  gather 
eagerly  wdien  there  is  a chance  of  beholding  the  sov- 
ereign. The  police  had  their  hands  full,  as  they  w^ere 
responsible  for  keeping  the  public  back  to  a line  drawn 
tw^enty  yards  from  the  main  route  on  all  the  streets 
intersecting  the  road  from  the  Palace,  — this  not  to 
isolate  the  Imperial  procession,  but  to  keep  space  open 
for  the  hundreds  of  vehicles  wdiich  must  pass  convey- 
ing visitors  to  the  Houses  of  Parliament  before  the 
Emperor’s  arrival.  The  result  w^as  perfect ; for  there 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


129 


was  not  a single  block  of  any  kind,  or  the  slightest  diffi- 
culty in  finding  the  carriages  and  jinrikshas  when  the 
ceremony  was  over.  A very  stringent  regulation  for- 
bids that  any  one  should  look  down  on  the  sovereign 
from  an  elevated  position.  There  were  hardly  any 
upper  windows  on  the  route,  which  passed  by  the  great 
avenues  along  the  Palace  moats  ; but  one  or  two  young- 
sters who  had  audaciously  climbed  trees  so  as  to  get  a 
better  view  were  pulled  down  sternly  by  the  police, 
and  the  attempt  was  not  repeated.  A very  large  body 
of  troops  lined  the  entire  route  four  deep  before  the 
Emperor  finally  left  the  Palace ; but  this  was  done 
merely  to  add  to  the  pomp  of  the  procession,  for  his 
Majesty  would  have  nothing  to  fear  from  any  class  of 
his  subjects  except  too  warm  a demonstration  of  loyalty, 
and  even  that  would  always  be  tempered  by  the  religious 
awe  with  which  even  the  most  violent  Radicals  here 
regard  his  sacred  person. 

The  invitations  named  ten  o’clock  as  the  hour  for 
arriving  at  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  by  half- 
past  ten  the  rush  of  carriages  and  jinrikshas  was  over, 
and  a broad  empty  way  was  left  for  the  procession 
from  the  Palace.  It  was  headed,  of  course,  by  Guards 
and  outriders ; and  then  came  three  carriages  full  of 
Imperial  Princes  (cousins  and  uncles  of  the  Emperor) 
old  enough  to  take  their  seats  in  the  House  of  Peers  ; 
then  the  beautiful  State  coach,  with  its  glass  sides  and 
golden  phoenix  crown,  its  six  splendidly  caparisoned 
horses  and  gorgeous  attendants,  passed  slowly  by,  carry- 
ing the  Emperor  in  his  marshal’s  uniform  and  many’ 


VOL.  II 


K 


130 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


decorations,  attended  by  Marquis  Tokudaiji,  the  Lord 
High  Chamberlain,  who  sat  on  the  opposite  seat.  A 
body  of  Life  Guards  followed  the  Emperor’s  coach  ; and 
then  came  a number  of  State  carriages  containing  the 
Cabinet  Ministers  and  Court  officials.  When  the  Em- 
peror arrived  at  the  entrance  to  the  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment, he  was  received  by  all  the  great  functionaries, 
headed  by  Count  Ito  (who  has  been  elected  President 
of  the  Upper  House),  and  then  proceeded  to  wait  in  the 
great  reception-room  while  all  those  who  had  accom- 
panied him  were  sorted  into  their  places.  A separate 
reception-room  was  set  aside  for  the  Diplomatic  Corps, 
whose  younger  members  were  indignant  at  finding  all 
the  windows  impenetrably  veiled  to  prevent  their  look- 
ing down  from  this  upper  floor  on  the  Emperor’s  ar- 
rival. They  had,  however,  the  privilege  of  accompanying 
him  to  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  and  told  me  that  it  pre- 
sented an  imposing  sight  when  he  entered  and  took 
his  seat  on  the  throne,  surrounded  by  that  great  con- 
course of  subjects  and  courtiers.  The  Commons  were 
all  gathered  in  the  hall,  some  of  tlie  lower  seats  having 
been  removed  to  give  them  standing  room ; the  Empress 
with  the  Princesses  and  her  ladies  (the  only  women  pres- 
ent) took  their  places  in  the  box  prepared  for  them ; 
and  the  Strangers’  Gallery,  as  well  as  every  available 
corner,  was  crowded  with  smart  uniforms  and  brilliant 
decorations.  The  members  of  the  Lower  House  were 
almost  all  in  plain  evening  dress,  and  it  was  maliciously 
remarked  that  they  looked  fluttered  and  delighted ; 
while  the  Peers,  conspicuous  in  their  gorgeous  military 


PORTRAIT  AND  AUTOGRAPH  OF  H.  I.  H.  PRINCE  ARISUGAWA  TARUHITO 


1 


1 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


133 


and  official  uniforms,  preserved  the  impassive  dignity 
and  calm  which  mark  the  Japanese  aristocrat. 

When  the  marshals  entered  preceding  the  Emperor, 
the  House  rose  and  stood  in  breathless  silence,  and  then 
bowed  like  one  man  almost  to  the  ground  as  he  took 
his  seat.  The  first  sound  heard  was  the  Emperor’s 
voice,  when,  standing  before  the  throne,  he  made  his 
first  speech  to  his  first  Parliament.  It  was  one  of 
those  incidents  which  strike  the  hour,  clear  for  all  men 
to  hear,  in  the  course  of  a country’s  history;  and  no 
one  then  present  wfill  forget  the  solemn  moment. 

Here  is  the  speech : ^ 

We  announce  to  the  members  of  the  House  of 
Peers  and  to  those  of  the  House  of  Representatives : 
That  all  institutions  relating  to  internal  administration, 
established  during  the  period  of  twenty  years  since  Our 
accession  to  the  Throne,  have  been  brought  to  a state 
approaching  completeness  and  regular  arrangement.  By 
the  efficacy  of  the  virtues  of  Our  Ancestors,  and  in 
concert  with  yourselves.  We  hope  to  continue  and  ex- 
tend those  measures,  to  reap  good  fruit  from  the  working 
of  the  Constitution,  and  thereby  to  manifest,  both  at 
home  and  abroad,  the  glory  of  Our  country  and  the  loyal 
and  enterprising  character  of  Our  people. 

We  have  always  cherished  a resolve  to  maintain 
friendly  relations  with  other  countries,  to  develope 
commerce,  and  to  extend  the  prestige  of  Our  land. 
Happily  Our  relations  with  all  the  Treaty  Powers  are 
on  a footing  of  constantly  growing  amity  and  inti- 
macy. 


134 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


In  order  to  preserve  tranquillity  at  home  and 
security  from  abroad,  it  is  essential  that  the  completion 
of  Our  naval  and  military  defences  should  be  made  an 
object  of  gradual  attainment. 

^‘We  shall  direct  our  Ministers  of  State  to  submit  to 
the  Diet  the  Budget  for  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  Meiji, 
and  certain  projects  of  laws.  \Ye  expect  that  you  will 
deliberate  and  advise  upon  them  with  imj^artiality  and 
discretion,  and  We  trust  that  you  will  establish  such 
precedents  as  may  serve  for  future  guidance.” 

So  much  for  the  event.  Now  I must  tell  you  of 
the  riot  which  broke  out  and  ‘ threatened  to  wreck 
the  Russian  Legation  while  this  majestic  ceremony  was 
going  forward  in  the  House  of  Peers. 

As  the  Emperor  was  going  thither,  the  procession 
had  to  pass  the  corner  of  the  Russian  Legation  grounds, 
where  two  wide  streets  form  an  angle,  and  where  a 
small  pavilion  perched  on  the  garden  wall  gives  a view 
down  both  streets.  True  to  their  orders,  the  police 
were  keeping  back  the  crowd  which  would  have  poured 
down  from  the  side  to  the  main  street ; and  it  may  be 
that  the  people  were  indignant  at  seeing  a number  of 
foreign  ladies  and  children  standing  on  this  point  where 
they  could  see  the  Emperor  from  an  elevated  position 
quite  forbidden  to  his  own  subjects.  His  Majesty  at 
any  rate  entirely  understood  the  situation,  and  glanced 

up,  smiled,  and  nodded  to  Madame  S and  her 

daughter.  I was  not  well  enough  to  join  them  that 
morning,  as  I had  intended  doing ; but  they  described 
to  me  what  followed. 


PORTRAIT  AND  AUTOGRAPH  OF  H.  I.  H.  PRINCESS  ARISUGAWA  TADA 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


137 


As  soon  as  the  Emperor  had  passed,  the  poj)ulace, 
composed  largely  of  young  students,  tried  to  force  the 
blockade  of  the  main  street.  They  were  vigorously 
met  by  the  police,  who,  , seeing  that  they  might  soon  be 
outnumbered,  struck  a few  sharp  blows  with  their  sword- 
scabbards  to  reduce  the  mob  to  order.  The  ladies  in  the 
summer-house  above  were  watching  the  contest  with 
rather  alarmed  interest,  wdien  a cracker  was  exploded 
in  the  crowd  with  a snap  and  a puff  of  smoke,  rather 
startling  in  the  circumstances.  Somebody  in  the  pavilion 
gave  a little  scream,  and  there  was  a laugh  among  the 
rest,  when  they  suddenly  became  aware  that  stones  were 
being  thrown  at  them  from  the  crowd,  first  singly, 
then  in  showers,  and  increasing  in  size ; a brick  very 

nearly  struck  Mademoiselle  S , and,  much  to  her 

mother’s  wrath  (for  Madame  S is  a gallant  lady, 

who  objects  to  retreating  before  a mob),  the  little  group 
had  to  disappear  from  their  position  in  the  pavilion. 
By  that  time  the  stones  were  also  flying  over  the  front 
gates  which  open  into  the  side-street,  then  crowded  with 
a surging  mob,  and  some  terrified  servants  came  rushing 
to  say  that  the  people  were  beginning  to  climb  the  gates. 
As  all  the  gentlemen  of  the  staff  were  absent  with  the 

Minister,  there  was  no  one  to  appeal  to.  Madame  S 

sent  the  servants  back  to  barricade  the  iron  gates,  which 
are  fortunately  strong  and  high,  and  then  smuggled 
one  man  out  of  a little  side-door  in  another  part  of  the 
garden  to  call  some  of  the  policemen  to  enter  by  it  and 
defend  the  place  within.  Her  visitors  and  their  children 
had  taken  refuge  in  a remote  part  of  the  house.  Mean- 


138 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


while,  outside  the  gates,  a pretty  fierce  tight  was  going 
on ; the  police  were  working  bravely  to  get  to  the  gate 
itself ; and  the  men-servants  had  posted  themselves  in 
the  pavilion,  and  were  returning  their  assailants’  fire 
by  a shower  of  bricks,  wdiich  had  been  piled  for  some 
new  building  in  the  garden,  and  which  naturally  did 
not  tend  to  improve  the  temper  of  the  mob.  Madame 

S told  me  that  her  relief  was  intense,  when  she 

saw  a little  company  of  policemen  file  through  the 
forgotten  door  and  march  to  the  gates  and  the  pavilion. 
As  soon  as  the  crowd  saw  that  the  police  were  in 
force  inside  the  enclosure,  they  lost  something  of  their 
courage ; but  they  were  still  surging  against  the  gates 
in  great  numbers  and  much  excitement,  when  the 
carriages  containing  the  Minister  and  the  Secretaries 
returning  from  the  Diet  drew  up  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  crowd,  finding  it  impossible  to  penetrate  through 
it.  Knowing  nothing  of  what  had  occurred.  Monsieur 

S imagined  that  a fire  must  have  broken  out,  and 

was  much  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  his  family.  When 
at  last  a way  was  opened  for  him  to  drive  up  to  his 
own  gates,  great  was  his  amazement  to  see  that  they 
were  held  by  a body  of  police,  one  of  whose  number 
sat  astride  the  top  bar  with  a revolver  in  hand,  pre- 
pared to  shoot  any  one  who  tried  to  follow  him.  The 
crowd  quickly  melted  away  after  the  Minister’s  return, 
bnt  not  before  several  arrests  were  made.  The  incident 
has  naturally  created  a very  unpleasant  impression ; but 
we  are  told  that  it  really  has  no  political  significance. 
I have  noticed  that  the  actions  of  an  excited  crowd 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


139 


seldom  have,  especially  if  the  apologist  be  a member 
of  the  Government. 

Nevertheless  there  is  a good  deal  of  rampant  soshi- 
ism  abroad,  and  it  manifests  itself  in  quite  unexpected 
ways.  Hearing  of  the  trouble  at  our  friends’  house,  I 
ordered  the  carriage  late  in  the  afternoon  to  go  and 
tell  them  how  sorry  I 
was  for  their  fright. 

Just  as  I was  ready  to 

start,  H came  in 

and  told  me  that  he 
had  sent  the  carriage 
back  to  the  stables,  as 
the  streets  were  not 
safe  for  me  to  drive 
through.  I was  greatly 
surprised,  as  I have 
never  been  prevented 
from  going  out,  even 
in  last  year’s  anti-for- 
eign agitation.  I learnt 
afterwards  from  Mr. 

G , who  was  walk- 

ing with  him,  that  quite  close  to  our  own  gates  they  had 
suddenly  been  surrounded  by  a band  of  soshi,  armed  with 
their  favourite  sword-sticks.  An  attempt  had  been 
made  to  distract  the  Chief’s  attention  by  hustling  him 
behind,  and  at  the  moment  when  he  was  intended  to 
turn  his  head  a sword  was  drawn  to  strike  him  in 
front.  But  he  refused  to  look  behind  him,  and  kept 


H.  I.  H.  PKINCK  KITA  SHIRAKAWA 


140 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


his  eyes  fixed  on  the  face  of  the  man  in  front,  who 

lowered  his  sword  at  once.  H laughed  a little, 

and  went  on  and  finished  his  walk ; but  his  companion 
told  me  that  had  he  turned  his  head  he  would  have 
been  run  through  at  once,  for  the  soshi  was  closer  to 

him  than  Mr.  G when  the  thing  happened.  The 

Chief  was  in  greater  danger  than  any  one  had  been  in 
the  riot  of  the  morning.  There  was  deep  dismay  in 
the  Japanese  Foreign  Office  wdien  the  matter  was  re- 
ported, and  profuse  apologies  were  of  course  made. 
H improved  the  occasion  to  insist  upon  the  aboli- 

tion of  those  horrid  sword-sticks.  Every  turbulent  soshi 
in  Tokyo  carries  one,  and  they  constitute  a real  danger 
in  any  excitement.  We  cannot  imagine  why  the  Govern- 
ment should  be  so  shy  of  controlling  the  soshi,  who  are 
now  wfild  misguided  youths,  and  wull  be  later  very  un- 
manageable and  dangerous  citizens.^ - 

And  now  let  us  turn  to  gayer  subjects.  A pretty 
little  compliment  came  out  for  Prince  Komatsu  the 
other  day,  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Bath,  wuth  which,  I 
think,  his  Imperial  Highness  w^as  very  much  pleased. 

AYe  went  with  much  solemnity  to  his  Palace,  and  H 

gave  the  Queen’s  message  and  invested  him  wuth  the 
collar,  which  is  really  a beautiful  bit  of  gold  and 
enamel  w^ork.  All  sorts  of  pretty  speeches  were  made, 
and  the  Prince  (who  has  the  most  good-natured  face  I 
ever  saw,  with  a Disraeli  curl  on  the  forehead)  kept  us 

1 It  is  now  an  established  fact  that  the  soshi  have  often  been  employed 
by  one  party  to  frighten  another  into  submission.  A former  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  told  me  that  he  had  found  them  extremely  useful 
in  this  way.  — 1898. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


141 


to  lunch,  and  the  Prin- 
cess went  through  all  the 
pretty  speeches  in  her 
own  royal-feminine  lan- 
guage, quite  a different 
dialect  from  the  royal- 
masculine  speech,  which 
in  its  turn  is  quite  apart 
from  the  speech  of  ordi- 
nary men,  who  must  be 
careful  when  speaking  to 
the  Princes  to  use  certain 
words  consecrated  only 
for  the  ears  of  royalty ! 
Is  this  not  a puzzling 
sum  ? Of  course  all  the 


H.  I.  H.  PRINCE  KOMATSU 


II.  I,  H.  PRINCESS  KOMATSU 


conversation  is  carried  on 
with  the  help  of  interpret- 
ers ; for  though  the  Prince 
speaks  some  English,  it  is 
not  enough  to  carry  him 
through  an  official  occasion, 
and  the  Princess  will  not 
admit  that  she  knows  any 
English  words,  though  I 
suspect  that  she  often  un- 
derstands what  I am  say- 
ing long  before  the  inter- 
preter has  repeated  it.  She 
has  the  most  lovely  Paris 


142 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


frocks,  and,  though  not  pretty,  is  always  extremely 
well  put  together.  My  wicked  Dachs,  the  Brown  Am- 
bassador, fancies  himself  greatly  in  white  satin,  and 
generally  picks  out  the  smartest  gown  in  the  room  to 
lie  down  on,  with  the  air  of  paying  its  owner  a great 
compliment.  After  the  Prince  had  been  invested  with 
the  Bath,  he  and  the  Princess  came  to  dine  with  us. 
The  Princess  had  a beautiful  dress  of  white  satin  bro- 
caded all  over  with  gold  feathers ; and  as  we  women 
were  sitting  in  the  drawing-room  after  dinner,  Tip  ob- 
served the  gown  from  afar,  and  decided  that  it  would 
suit  his  complexion.  Giving  one  bound  through  the  air, 
he  landed  on  it  with  all  his  four  fat  paws  outspread, 
and  looked  round  to  be  complimented  on  the  feat. 
The  Princess  screamed,  taken  off  her  guard  by  the  sud- 
den onslaught,  the  lady-in-waiting  turned  pale,  and  poor 
Tip  was  carried  off  in  sad  disorder.  He  is  a source  of 
the  greatest  amusement  to  the  Japanese  ladies  who 
come  to  see  me ; they  think  his  tricks  quite  miraculous ; 
and  he  sits  up  before  each  one  in  turn  to  be  fed  with 
sugar  and  told  that  he  is  rijjpai  (splendid).  He  is  a 
born  courtier ; for  he  goes  round  on  my  reception  days, 
speaking  kindly  to  any  strangers  who  come,  holding 
out  a solemn  paw  to  be  shaken  by  Europeans,  but 
making  a long  Japanese  bow  with  his  head  on  the 
floor  before  the  little  ladies  of  the  country,  who  go  off 
into  fits  of  laughter  at  the  sight,  and  I am  sure  be- 
lieve that  I have  taught  him  his  absurd  tricks. 

I have  at  last  seen  the  Palace  chrysanthemums, 
which  are  extremely  beautiful,  and  almost  more  interest- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


143 


ing  than  beautiful,  on  account  of  the  complete  triumph 
of  art  over  nature  which  they  proclaim.  The  gardens 
devoted  to  them  are  those  of  the  Aoyama  Palace,  on 
the  eastern  heights  of  the  town.  This  was  the  Em- 
peror’s residence  for  several  years,  while  the  new  Palace 
was  being  built,  but  it  is  now  the  home  of  the  Empress- 
Dowager.  The  Emperor’s  birthday  party  is  always 
given  in  the  gardens  of  Aoyama,  the  chrysanthemum 
being  his  flower,  even  as  the  double  cherry  is  that  of 
the  Empress,  whose  own  birthday  party  is  always  given 
at  the  Hama  Goten,  the  cherry-blossom  Palace  by  the 
sea.  As  no  party  was  given  last  year  for  the  Em- 
peror’s birthday,  this  was  my  first  view  of  these  famous 
chrysanthemums,  and  I was  quite  dazzled  by  the  ex- 
traordinary variety  and  size  of  the  blooms.  Those  in 
the  show  gardens  of  Dango-Zaka  do  not  approach  them 
in  splendour. 

The  Aoyama  gardens  are  very  large,  and  are  laid 
out,  according  to  Japanese  rules,  in  lakes  and  islands, 
bridges  and  arbours,  pavilions,  rocks,  little  dells  full 
of  maple  trees,  and  little  hills  crowned  with  strangely 
shaped  stones  of  enormous  value  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Japanese.  But  at  this  season  one  hardly  notices  the 
other  features  of  the  grounds,  because  everywhere  are 
armies  of  clirysanthemums,  sheltered  in  large  pavilions 
of  pure  white  wood,  open  on  one  side  of  their  length 
to  the  gaze  of  the  admiring  crowds  who  have  been 
invited  to  behold  them.  These  garden  parties  are 
wonderfully  well  arranged,  and  always  seem  to  follow 
the  same  precedent.  An  hour  is  named  on  the  card 


144 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


of  invitation  well  ahead  of  the  time  when  the  Majesties 
intend  to  appear.  The  carriages  put  us  down  at  the 
gate,  and  we  have  quite  a long  pleasant  walk  over 
the  green  lawns  and  through  exquisitely  kept  grounds 
before  we  reach  the  place  of  gathering.  All  through 
the  gardens  the  air  is  full  of  music,  the  bands  being 
stationed  in  picturesque  spots  sufficiently  far  from  each 
other  not  to  distress  the  sensitive  ear ; the  paths  are 
full  of  all  one’s  friends  and  acquaintances ; the  crowds 
of  smart  frocks  and  bright  uniforms  make  the  gayest 
of  pictures  under  the  trees.  When  the  goal  is  reached, 
one  finds  a huge  tent,  all  draped  in  the  broad  stripes 
of  severe  black  and  white,  which  are  the  mark  of  the 
Imperial  Household ; a tremendous  feast  (no  better  word 
quite  expresses  the  fact)  is  laid  out  here  for  the  world 
in  general ; and  at  one  end  is  a smaller  pavilion  in 
which  the  sovereigns  receive  us,  and  where  we  have  tea 
at  little  tables  with  the  Court  people.  But  the  sovereigns 
are  kind,  and  do  not  arrive  until  we  have  had  time  to 
walk  about  and  look  at  all  the  show  of  flowers. 

And  what  a shoAV ! There  is  one  plant,  standing 
alone  under  a carved  roof,  which  has  grown,  as  it  was 
told,  in  the  shape  of  a great  junk,  with  a poop  at  either 
end,  and  double  decks  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  The 
central  stem  has  become  a tree,  covered  with  solid 
bark ; and  it  has  thrown  out  this  year  nearly  four 
hundred  blossoms,  all  exactly  alike,  of  the  same  size, 
and  of  a pale-pink  colour,  the  whole  thing  occupying 
a space  about  fifteen  feet  long,  and  standing  quite 
ten  feet  from  the  ground.  When  one  can  tear  oneself 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAK 


145 


away  from  this  beauty,  there  are,  as  I have  said,  armies 
of  flowers  planted  in  terraces  five  or  six  rows  deep, 
each  entire  row  being  so  perfectly  imiform  that  there 
is  no  single  difference  of  petal  or  leaf  all  along  the 

line  ! for  tlie  

Japanese  gar- 
dener would  re- 
ject as  failures 
the  most  beau- 
tiful blooms  if 
the  leaves  grew 
unevenly  up  the 
stem.  He  suc- 
ceeds in  produc- 
ing a hundred 
specimens,  each 
flowering  to  the 
same  point, 
with  the  leaves 
sprouting  in  per- 
fect regularity 
at  the  same  dis- 
tances on  the 

, ,,  CHRYSANTHEMUMS 

stalk.  My  Simile 

of  an  army  is  really  a correct  one,  for  in  looking  down 
the  lines  there  is  no  more  dissimilarity  to  be  discovered 
than  in  lines  of  well-drilled  troops.  And  not  only  this, 
but  between  the  lowest  line  and  the  topmost  one  our 
garden  magician  has  managed  to  show  us  the  growth 
from  bud  to  bloom;  the  lowest  line,  standing  hardly 


VOL.  II 


146 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


a foot  from  the  ground,  is  all  in  bud,  the  next  slightly 
more  advanced,  the  next  still  more  so,  and  so  on  till 
the  highest  of  all  shows  us  the  full-blown  beauty  of  the 
flower.  In  the  very  long  thin-petalled  specimens  now 
in  fashion  here,  the  disc  is  spread  out  like  a white  or 
crimson  sun,  over  a delicate  frame  of  copper  wire,  many 
inches  across.  In  some  specimens  the  petals  are  so 
long  that  they  hang  over  the  edge  of  the  wire  in  a 
flowery  fringe ; in  others  they  are  spiked,  and  bristled 
with  what  look  like  fine  hairs  growing  out  of  the  sur- 
face ; others  are  curled,  thick,  pompous ; some  like  full 
moons  in  perfect  roundness,  some  all  rays  like  a mid- 
day sun.  In  every  shade  of  rose  and  crimson,  brown, 
scarlet,  yellow,  pale  lilac,  sunset  purple,  they  almost 
fatigue  the  eye  with  colour ; and  I turned  gladly  to  look 
at  some  lovely  pale  globes  wdiose  foamy  petals  curled 
inwards  over  a green  as  alive  and  transparent  as  the 
wave  on  the  shore  or  the  glow-worm’s  lamp  in  the  grass. 

Going  from  one  to  another  with  a Japanese  friend, 
who  was  giving  me  the  national  appreciations  on  the 
subject  of  chrysanthemums,  I was  almost  sorry  when 
the  Majesties’  arrival  was  heralded  by  the  Grand  Master 
of  Ceremonies,  who  waved  us  into  two  lines,  through 
which  the  Emperor  and  Empress  walked  together, 
followed  by  the  Princes  and  Princesses  and  the  rest 
of  the  Court.  The  ladies’  dresses  were  of  lovely  Kyoto 
brocades,  as  near  the  tints  of  the  chrysanthemums  as 
possible.  The  sovereigns  merely  bowed  as  they  went 
by,  and  then  a long  procession  formed  after  them  in 
couples,  according  to  the  usual  order  of  precedence. 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


147 


I found  mjself  in  charge  of  the  Minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  and  we  played  a decorous  kind  of  “ follow  my 
leader  ” through  the  grounds,  until  the  Majesties  came  to 
a halt  in  the  pavilion  marked  out  for  them ; their  inter- 
preters stood  beside  them,  and  we  went  in,  in  detach- 
ments according  to  precedence  again,  to  have  our  little 
conversation  and  make  our  little  bows,  and  slide  off  to 
leave  room  for  the  next  batch.  AYhen  all  the  greetings 
and  bowings  were  over,  the  business  of  ices  and  champagne 
began,  and  was  treated  with  proper  solemnity.  Then  a 
tiny  shower  came  down,  and  the  Court  rose  as  one  man, 
the  sovereigns  took  leave  of  us  with  some  -little  precipi- 
tation, and  they  and  their  people  made  for  the  main 
building  of  the  Palace,  where  they  would  at  any  rate  be 
safe  till  the  rain  had  passed.  The  last  I saw  of  them  was 
a string  of  little  ladies  carefully  holding  up  their  delicate 
satin  gowns  and  racing  along  under  black  umbrellas. 

MVe  broke  up  at  once  — not  at  all  according  to 
precedence!  We  had  no  umbrellas,  of  course;  but 
everything  is  foreseen  in  Japan.  As  we  issued  rather 
ruefully  from  the  royal  tent  to  traverse  the  long  piece 
of  wet  garden  which  separated  us  from  our  carriages,  a 
number  of  servants  suddenly  appeared  from  among  the 
bushes,  carrying  sheaves  of  umbrellas,  at  least  five  hun- 
dred of  them,  all  alike,  ornamented  with  green  silk  tassels. 
One  was  put,  ready  opened,  into  each  guest’s  hand,  and, 
as  we  stepped  into  the  carriages  at  the  farther  gate, 
another  little  army  of  servants  was  in  waiting  to  re- 
lieve us  of  the  precious  umbrellas,  which  were  all  carried 
back  in  bundles  to  the  Palace  — to  wait  for  next  time. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


NIKKO  AT  LAST  ! — THE  BRIDGE  OF  BEAUTY  AND  THE 


BRIDGE  OF  USE.  — IN  THE  TEMPLE  COURTS.  — THE  STORY 
OF  lYEYASU.  — HIS  FRIEND,  WILL  ADAMS,  THE  ROCHES- 
TER PILOT.  — A PIECE  OF  IMPRISONED  SUNSHINE.  — 
MAPLES  AND  WATERFALLS.  — CHUZENJI 


0 you  wonder  that  I have  waited  so  long  to  write 


the  name  of  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  solemn 
place  in  Japan  ? In  truth,  I have  feared  to  write  it 
sooner,  have  feared  to  visit  it  until  now.  It  seemed  to 
me  that  a certain  initiation  should  be  gone  through, 
a certain  standard  of  judgment  on  Japanese  thought 
attained,  before  I went  to  stand  face  to  face  with  the 
supreme  expression  of  beauty  and  solemnity.  So  I 
visited  other  temples,  stood  in  the  shade  of  other 
groves,  listened  to  other  waterfalls  and  other  nightin- 
gales, taught  my  strained  Western  senses  to  forget  the 
golden-tinted  ruins,  the  jewelled  hills,  the  gorgeous 
colour  feasts  of  our  blazing  South  Italian  home;  and 
then,  when  the  spirit’s  eyes  were  rested  from  the  sun- 
shine, when  they  had  learned  at  last  the  value  of  cool 
shadow  and  grey  distance  and  whispering  pine  branch 
under  an  autumn  sky  — then  I was  not  afraid  to  come 
to  Nikko,  I could  liope  to  understand. 


Nikko,  November,  1890. 


148 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


149 


I could  not  come  all  the  way  through  the  grand 
cryptomeria  avenue,  because  the  travelling  now  is  mostly 
done  by  rail ; but  even  from  the  carriage  windows  we 
could  look  up  at  the  splendid  trees  through  which  the 
line  cuts  again  and  again,  wantonly,  as  it  seemed  to 
me.  The  last  two  or  three  miles  are  done  in  jinrik- 
sha,  and  make  up  for  the  rest  of  the  noisy  smoky 
journey.  One  creeps  slowly  and  with  a certain  rever- 
ence to  the  heart  of  Nikko,  the  village  of  Hachi-ishi, 
which  is  the  centre  of  the  district;  for  though  we  for- 
eigners distinguish  this  one  town  by  the  name  of  Nikko, 
that  properly  belongs  to  the  whole  of  this  range  of 
hills,  which  lie  some  eighty  miles  to  the  north  of  Tokyo. 

To  the  north-east  of  Hachi-ishi  rises  the  volcano  of 
Nantai  San,  extinct  since  prehistoric  times ; and  in  its 
side  is  a huge  cavern,  from  which  in  ancient  times  (so 
the  story  goes)  there  issued  frightful  storms  which  dev- 
astated the  country  every  spring  and  autumn.  Popu- 
lar legends  say  that,  on  account  of  these  twin  storms, 
the  country  was  called  Ni-Ko  San,  or  Two-Storm  Moun- 
tain ; and  that  the  great  saint  and  scholar  Kobo  Daishi 
in  the  year  820  exorcised  the  storm  demons,  and  called 
the  place  Nikko  San,  the  Mountains  of  the  Sun’s  Bright- 
ness, which  name  it  bears  to  this  day.  But  the  demons 
were  only  temporarily  appeased,  and  the  exorcisms  had 
to  be  repeated  every  year ; so  Kobo  Daishi  taught  his 
formula  to  a Shinto  priest,  whose  family  continued  to 
carry  out  the  prescription  for  eight  hundred  and  eighty 
years,  when  they  seem  to  have  given  it  up,  persuaded 
perhaps  at  last  that  the  equinoctial  storms  had  their 


150 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


origin  farther  away  than  the  big  cave  on  Nantai  San. 
Long  before  the  days  of  Kobo  Daishi,  a Shinto  temple 
had  existed  at  the  place  we  call  Nikko;  but  for  some 
reason  it  was  removed,  and  sent  downstairs,  as  it  were, 
to  be  put  up  in  Utsimomiya,  the  present  railway  junction, 
twenty-five  miles  from  here.  The  next  temple,  built  in 
767,  was  a Buddhist  one,  built  by  the  saint  Shodo 
Shonin,  whose  life,  as  told  by  Japanese  chroniclers,  is 
a tissue  of  beautiful  marvels.  Kobo  Daishi  succeeded 
him,  and  added  much  to  the  holy  buildings,  as  did  also 
another  abbot,  Jigaku  Daishi,  who  came  a little  later 
into  the  same  honours.  From  that  time  onward  Nikko 
became  always  more  holy  and  more  beautiful ; endless 
Buddhist  saints  have  lived  and  prayed  and  been  laid  to 
rest  among  its  groves;  its  temples  are  full  of  exquisite 
art  treasures ; and  two  of  the  country’s  greatest  men, 
lyeyasu  and  lyemitsu,  chose  it  for  their  tomb. 

This  atmosphere  of  a great  past  hangs  over  it  every- 
where, and  even  noisy  tourists  who  respect  few  things 
are  impressed  and  silenced  by  its  calm  majesty.  Foreign 
residents  from  Tokyo  and  Yokohama  come  here  in  the 
summer  and  take  houses,  and  have  their  futile  picnics 
and  tea  parties,  and  make  no  more  effect  on  the  place 
than  do  the  sand-fiies  on  the  face  of  the  great  bronze 
Buddha.  One  of  my  reasons  for  going  in  the  autumn 
was  that  they  would  all  have  fiown  back  by  this  time 
to  thick  carpets  and  coal  fires ; for  though  the  maples 
are  still  in  all  their  red  beauty,  it  is  cold  in  Nikko, 
and  the  river  brings  down  icy  breaths  at  night  from 
the  tempest-haunted  caves  of  Nantai  San. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


151 


Now  the  river  is  the  first  thing  one  sees,  the  cen- 
tral spot  of  all  one’s  mind-excursions  here.  It  divides 
the  place  in  two,  coining  down  very  full  and  angry 
between  the  deep-green  hills,  and  spanned,  just  where 
tlie  sides  of  the  glen  are  steepest,  by  a perfect  bridge, 
thrown  in  one  scarlet  arch  across  the  white  water,  from 
the  black  green  of  this  side  to  the  golden  green  of  that, 
where  the  sun  lingers  longest  ere  he  rolls  down  to  the 


THE  HlllDGE  OF  BEAUTY,  NIKKO 


plains  and  the  sea.  Why  are  not  all  bridges  scarlet, 
latticed,  lying  between  green  steeps  ? The  inevitable  wise 
man  will  say  that  they  should  be  things  of  use,  and 
not  of  beauty  alone  ; but  then,  he  has  never  been  to 
Japan.  This  bridge  is  not  for  use;  only  grass-grown 
paths  unopened  to  traffic  lead  anywhere  near  it.  Should 
the  Emperor  come  to  visit  the  shrines,  his  sacred  feet 
might  tread  its  scarlet  arch  — his,  but  no  others.  He 
would  have  to  walk  alone,  as  of  old  the  Shoguns 
walked  ; for  the  bridge  is  too  holy  for  unanointed  feet. 


152 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


At  one  time  pilgrims  were  allowed  to  cross,  because 
of  their  consecrated  mission ; but  this  is  no  longer 
allowed,  and  the  lovely  bridge  has  not  felt  the  tread  of 
a mortal  footstep  for  many  a day.^  Do  the  ghosts  of 
holy  men  come  to  do  the  repairing  in  these  autumn 
nights,  I wonder?  No  human  hand  has  mended  it  for 
two  hundred  and  thirty  years,  and  they  say  the  wood 
is  as  fresh  and  strong  across  its  eighty-four-feet  span 
to-day  as  it  was  when  it  was  put  in  place. 

Lower  down  the  river  than  the  bridge  of  beauty 
comes  the  bridge  of  use;  and  when  we  have  crossed 
it,  to-day  seems  left  behind,  to-day  with  its  hotels  and 
railways  and  endless  fuss  and  friction  chafes  us  no 
more ; we  seem  to  have  entered  into  the  avenues  that 
lead  to  changeless  peace.  The  pines,  the  solemn,  pon- 
tifical pines,  are  standing  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  serried 
ranks,  their  enormous  roots  reaching  up  like  brown  but- 
tresses against  the  central  spire,  their  heads  far  away 
near  the  sky,  whence  their  murmur  comes  down  to  us 
fitfully,  like  prayers  that  pass  the  lips  long  after  they 
have  been  prayed  in  the  heart.  Between  the  trees 
long  stairways  of  grey  stone  climb  from  terrace  to  ter- 
race, ledge  to  ledge,  of  the  dusky  hillside,  ending  per- 
haps where  stone  lanterns  are  set  as  if  to  catch  the 
early  sun-rays,  and  whisper  the  good  news  of  his  com- 
ing to  the  deep  shadowy  courts  from  which  the  stair- 
ways rise.  It  must  be  highest  noon  ere  the  shadows 

1 AVhen  General  Grant  visited  Japan,  the  Emperor  had  the  bridge  thrown 
open,  and  invited  him  to  pass  over  it.  The  General  was  much  touched  by 
this  mark  of  honour,  but  refused  to  accept  it,  saying  that  he  considered 
himself  unworthy  to  do  so. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


153 


lift  from  those  embowered  courts,  tracked  with  grey 
stones  laid  in  leisurely  sequence  along  the  rich  dark 
soil,  showing  the  path  to  a favourite  shrine,  or  to  the 
well  where  pure  water  bubbles  always  for  the  pilgrim 
to  wash  in  ere  he  enter  the  holy  places.  Beside  the 
stepping-stones  grey  lanterns  stand,  stone  too,  each  with 
a recess  where  a light  may  be  placed,  in  memory  of 
the  giver  or  the  giver’s  dear  ones.  In  one  a light  is 
floating  in  its  cup  of  oil ; in  another  an  incense-stick, 
just  lighted,  sends  up  its  blue  spiral  of  smoke,  as  it 
stands  in  the  mouth  of  its  rough  bamboo  holder. 

The  air  is  mild  in  these  sheltered  courts,  and  the 
• ground  dry  and  scattered  with  pine  needles ; so  I sit 
down  at  the  foot  of  a flight  of  steps,  and  my  good 
Ogita,  who  has  a bad  cough,  and  cannot  walk  far  in 
these  days,  tells  me  the  story  of  lyeyasu  and  lyemitsu 
and  of  their  coming  to  be  buried  here. 

lyeyasu  was  the  son-in-law  and  the  favourite  gen- 
eral of  Hideyoshi,  the  Taiko  Sama  of  contemporary 
history ; and  when  Hideyoshi  died  in  1598,  lyeyasu, 
following  his  leader’s  dying  wish,  recalled  the  great 
Japanese  army  from  the  invasion  of  Corea,  and  took 
the  government  of  the  country  into  his  hands.  He  was 
one  of  the  Minamoto  family,  and  took  the  name  of 
Tokugawa  from  the  village  where  his  immediate  ances- 
tors had  lived.  Hideyoshi  had  such  confidence  in  him 
that  when  he  was  dying  he  left  his  son  and  successor, 
Hideyori,  in  lyeyasu’s  guardianship,  telling  him  to  use 
his  discretion  as  to  placing  him  in  the  Shogun’s  seat, 
which  Hideyoshi  himself  had  filled  in  fact  but  not  in 


154 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAX 


name.  Ijejasu  had  no  such  scruples,  and  five  years 
after  Hideyoshi’s  death  proclaimed  himself  Shogun.  The 
son  of  Hideyoshi  attempted  to  oppose  him  and  win 
back  his  father’s  power;  hut  lyeyasu  crushed  all  his 
pretensions,  even  as  Hideyoshi  had  crushed  those  of 
Nobunaga,  the  rightful  heir  in  his  time.  Hideyori  com- 
mitted suicide,  and  lyeyasu  founded  the  Tokugawa 
Shogunate,  which  lasted  down  to  our  own  day,  ending 
in  1868,  when  the  present  Emperor  took  the  rule  of 
his  own  dominions  into  his  own  hands. 

But  lyeyasu’ s usurpation  was  not  accomplished 
without  much  bloodshed,  and  constant  resistance  from 
enemies,  who  found  it  convenient  to  call  themselves  the  * 
defenders  of  the  rightful  successor  of  Hideyoshi.  His 
last  and  decisive  battle  with  these  envious  or  loyal 
adversaries  was  fought  at  Sekigahara,  a village  on  the 
Nakasendo,  the  chief  route  from  Kyoto  to  Yedo.  It 
seems  to  have  been  the  first  battle  where  firearms 
were  used  in  Japan  (October,  1600),  and  terrible 
slaughter  ensued.  Equally  matched,  equally  valiant  and 
determined,  the  two  armies  almost  annihilated  one 
another ; but  the  victory  at  last  remained  with  lyeyasu, 
and  two  enormous  mounds  are  still  shown  as  the  place 
where  the  heads  of  his  opponents  were  buried  after 
the  battle.  He  himself  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
certain  that  this  was  the  decisive  victory  for  him  ; when 
the  day  was  ended,  he  turned  to  Ins  generals,  saying. 
After  victory,  tighten  the  strings  of  your  lielmet  ” — 
an  axiom  which  is  constantly  used  in  Japan  to-day. 
lyeyasu  knew  how  to  tighten  those  strings  effectually. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


155 


He  crushed  the  rebellious,  encouraged  the  more  peace- 
ful subjects,  forgave  his  opponents  wherever  there  was 
a chance  of  turning  them  into  friends,  and,  as  I have 
already  said,  established  his  family  firmly  in  the  pow- 
erful position  which  they  maintained  until  our  own 
day.  He  knit  round  him  most  of  the  great  Daimyos, 
so  that  his  rule  centred  in  the  strong  feudal  system  of 
Japan.  The  powerful  nobles  were  all  drawn  to  him  by 
his  subtle  good  sense  and  power  of  influencing  others, 
and  before  he  died  had  recognised  that  they  must 
stand  or  fall  with  the  House  of  Tokugawa. 

Before  lyeyasu  died,  the  conquered  neighbour  Corea 
was  again  upon  a friendly  footing  with  Japan,  and  peace 
was  cemented  with  China.  The  greatest  blot  upon  his 
memory  is  the  destruction  of  Hideyori  and  his  mother; 
but  doubtless  he  considered  this  an  absolute  necessity  to 
assure  his  own  safety.  His  persecution  of  the  Christians, 
then  numbering  a notable  percentage  of  the  population, 
was  one  of  the  most  frightful  ever  instituted,  and  went 
so  far  as  to  break  up  those  sacred  ties  of  parental  and 
filial  duty  which  stand  at  the  head  of  all  moral  obliga- 
tions here.  It  is  said  that  lyeyasu  was  instigated  to 
this  course  by  the  suggestions  of  English  and  Dutch 
traders,  who,  jealous  of  the  power  and  influence  of 
the  Jesuit  Fathers,  told  the  Shogun  that  they  would 
usurp  his  rule.  But  it  now  seems  proved  that  his  de- 
sire, like  that  of  Hideyoshi  before  him,  had  always 
been  to  suppress  the  foreign  religion,  which  had  been 
warmly  accepted  by  many  of  the  powerful  Daimyos ; 
and  that  the  moment  he  felt  strong  enough  to  do  so 


156 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


lie  set  about  the  task,  or  rather  set  his  agents  to  it. 
These  gaily  took  it  in  hand,  and  invented  barbarities 
impossible  to  even  describe.  With  the  exception  of 
one  uprising,  in  which  the  Christians,  tortured  beyond 
endurance,  made  common  cause  with  a number  of 
peasant  insurgents  driven  to  rebellion  by  the  cruelties 
of  their  feudal  lord,  no  opposition,  except  that  of  con- 
stancy and  endurance,  was  offered  to  the  persecution, 
and  Christianity  was  practically  stamped  out  in  Japan 
through  the  wholesale  martyrdom  inflicted  by  lyeyasu 
and  by  his  successors.  To  the  everlasting  shame  of 
the  Dutch  traders,  it  is  recorded  that  they  assisted  the 
Government  with  guns,  powder,  and  their  best  ships 
in  the  final  conquest  of  the  Christians,  who,  when  their 
last  fort  was  taken,  were  massacred  to  the  number  of 
forty  thousand. 

The  period  in  lyeyasu’s  life  which  followed  on  all 
this  active  work  was  devoted  first  to  the  elaboration 
and  consolidation  of  the  feudal  system  (by  which  great 
privileges  were  granted  to  the  samurai  as  compared  to 
the  civil  or  non-fighting  part  of  the  community),  and 
then  in  the  development  of  literature  and  of  useful  arts. 
In  these  last  he  was  greatly  assisted  by  Will  Adams, 
the  pilot  of  a small  fleet  which  went  out  round  Cape 
Horn  to  trade  for  the  Indish  Company.”  After  fearful 
hardships  and  privations,  Adams  and  a few  companions 
reached  the  coast  of  Japan,  and  were  kindly  received 
by  the  authorities.  lyeyasu,  interested  in  the  strangers,^ 
kept  Adams  near  himself  for  many  years,  learnt  all  that 
the  ex-pilot  could  teach  him,  loaded  him  with  riches 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


157 


time,  and  his  last  years  were  spent  in  the  encouragement 
of  literature  and  in  writing  his  remarkable  work  The 
LegaoAj  of  lyeyasu,  in  which  he  treats  of  every  subject 
connected  with  good  government,  whether  of  the  family 
or  the  country.  He  chose  to  pass  his  last  years  in 
Suruya,  probably  in  sight  of  Fuji  San ; and  a year  after 
his  death  (in  1616)  his  body  was  brought  to  Nikko,  and 
lies,  according  to  his  wish,  in  this  most  splendid  of  the 


and  honours,  and  finally  kept  his  bones  in  the  country ; 
for  poor  Will  never  saw  his  beloved  Rochester  again, 
and  lies  buried  near  Yokohama  beside  the  Japanese 
wife  whom  he  had  taken  to  himself. 

lyeyasu  retired  from  the  Shogunate  in  order  to 
establish  his  son  firmly  on  his  own  seat  during  his  life- 


A TEMPLE  GATE  AT  NIKKO 


158 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


temples  of  his  country.  His  portrait  shows  a humorous 
face,  with  smiling  eyes,  and  shrewd  mouth  somewhat  cyn- 
ically curved  at  the  corners,  the  face  of  a man  who  made 
his  world  believe  in  him,  while  he  believed  — in  success. 

When  his  body  was  brought  here,  with  magnificent 
pomp,  in  a car  which  is  still  shown  in  the  Temple, 
the  reigning  Emperor  (an  unknown  being  called  Genna) 
awarded  him  posthumous  honours  and  the  high-sound- 
ing title  of  Supreme  Highness,  Orient  Radiance,  Great 
Saint”;  and  it  is  by  this  latter  title  that  he  is  still 
known  among  the  people.  As  Gongen  Sama  he  is 
worshipped  here  at  his  tomb,  and  is  supposed  to  return 
from  all  the  shadowy  peace  of  Nirvana  to  ride  for  one 
night  in  the  year  in  the  gold-lacquered  carriage  which 
bore  his  body  hither.  Are  there  any  Christians  in  his 
Nirvana,  I wonder  ? If  so,  I wonder  what  they  say 
about  his  saintliness  ? 

As  usual,  I have  been  carried  away  by  the  human 
associations  of  this  great  home  of  great  shadows,  and 
have  told  you  nothing  as  yet  of  the  visible  treasures 
which  it  contains.  Behold,  are  they  not  all  written 
down  in  the  indispensable  pages  of  Murray?  And  yet 
I wish  I could  show  you  some  of  them  ; for  it  seems 
as  if  specimens  of  every  art  had  been  stored  here  to 
honour  lyeyasu’s  memory.  From  highest  to  lowest,  his 
country-people  have  contributed  their  gifts.  Ogita  tells 
me  (but  I find  no  corroboration  of  this  in  any  of  the 
handbooks)  that  the  famous  avenue  of  cryptomerias  was 
planted  by  a great  Daimyo,  the  Prince  of  Chikuzen, 
before  Tyeyasu’s  body  was  brought  to  Nikko,  that  the 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


159 


road  might  be  worthy  of  the  traveller.  The  first  gate 
is  a splendid  granite  torii,  sent  by  this  same  Prince 
from  his  own  quarries  two  years  after  lyeyasu’s  death ; 
then  comes  an  exquisite  pagoda,  over  a hundred  feet 
high,  and  richly  decorated,  presented  a little  later  by 
one  of  the  great  vassals  of  the  family.  The  Gate  of 


ONE  OF  THE  NIKKO  TEMPEES 


the  Two  Kings  is  a marvel  of  carving  and  painting 
and  symbolism,  which  it  would  take  days  to  describe ; 
whichever  way  one  turns,  the  most  amazing  elaboration 
of  ornament  meets  one’s  eyes,  and  yet  all  is  harmonious 
and  subdued,  dominated  by  the  great  stone  stairways 
and  the  dark  pine  trees,  and  lit  in  the  luminous  even 
whiteness  of  Japan’s  noonday.  The  light  here,  as  else- 
where in  the  Islands  of  the  Dragon-Fly,  is  soft,  yet 


160 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


entire ; the  magic  mountains  seem  to  cast  no  shade ; in 
the  depth  of  the  woods,  as  in  the  golden  Temple  store- 
houses, everything  is  calmly  clear  to  the  eye. 

There  is  one  tree  which  stands  alone,  surrounded 
by  a stone  railing  — the  square  stone  railing  of  temple 
architecture  which  gives  such  character  to  all  these 
scenes.  The  tree  has  a right  to  special  protection ; for 
it  is,  says  local  tradition,  the  one  which  lyeyasu  (who 
must  have  loved  pines  as  I do)  carried  about  with  him 
for  years  in  his  palanquin,  when  it  was  a tiny  sapling 
in  its  pot.  Near  it  stands  a stable,  where  a white  horse 
is  kept,  in  case  lyeyasu  should  return  and  want  a charger 
in  a hurry.  He  must  have  sent  for  it  this  morning,  for 
the  stable  is  empty.  Then  we  are  taken  to  see  various 
relics  of  lyeyasu,  his  helmet  and  shield,  bronze  objects 
so  overlaid  with  green  patina  that  their  very  shape  is 
obscured ; tlren  a wonderful  library  of  Buddhist  books, 
in  a revolving  bookcase,  scarlet  and  gold.  But  that 
which  pleases  me  most  are  the  finely  carved  panels  of 
the  splendid  halls  intended  to  accommodate  the  Shogun 
and  his  train  when  they  came  here  to  worship.  Every 
bird  and  beast  seems  to  have  been  pressed  into  the 
service  of  decoration,  every  device  which  unlimited 
treasure  and  redundant  imagination  could  produce  has 
been  lavished  on  these  temple  rooms,  each  more  beauti- 
ful than  the  last.  The  very  architects  seem  to  have 
feared  the  envy  of  heaven  for  their  perfect  work  ; and 
one  pillar  has  its  carvings  done  upside  down,  that  the 
voluntary  defect  might  appease  the  jealous  gods.  It  is 
named  the  Pillar  of  the  Aversion  of  Evil.’’ 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


161 


The  tomb  of  lyeyasu  is  beyond  all  these  splendours, 
a small  pagoda  cast  in  a single  piece  of  bronze,  of  a 
golden  colour,  standing  alone  on  the  hillside.  And  this 
reminds  me  of  the  splendid  tomb  of  Yung  Chung,  in 
the  northern  hills  beyond  Peking,  with  its  vast  hall,  its 
hundred  scarlet  pillars,  its  lonely  state ; and  beyond  it, 
on  the  hillside,  a nameless  green  mound,  as  large  as  the 
Temple  itself,  in  whose  depths  the  great  Emperor’s  bones 
were  laid  secretly  and  unmarked,  so  that  no  enemy 
might  disinter  them,  no  envious  god  shatter  their  rest- 
ing-place in  his  jealousy  of  its  beauty. 

Only  one  thing  will  I tell  you  of  the  tomb  of 
lyemitsu,  great  lyeyasu’s  grandson.  In  a small  iron 
storeroom,  entered  by  a low  and  heavy  door,  I saw  the 
finest  piece  of  illumination  which  the  world  contains, 
eight  feet  long,  four  feet  wide,  the  whole  surface  cov- 
ered with  a series  of  paintings  so  delicate,  so  patient, 
so  perfect,  that  I have  never  seen  anything  in  Euro- 
pean collections  to  approach  it.  The  artist  seems  to 
have  actually  dipped  his  brush  in  sunshine  and  star- 
dust when  he  painted  it.  It  represents  the  Buddhist 
heaven,  with  glorified  spirits  crowding  round  a central 
figure,  which  makes  the  impression  of  giving  out  light. 
In  that  small  dark  treasure-house,  the  old  priest  spread 
it  out  for  me  to  see,  and  murmured  explanations  of  the 
picture ; to  me  it  was  like  a piece  of  sunshine  im- 
prisoned since  the  morning  of  the  world,  when  the  sun 
must  have  been  more  gladly  golden  than  now.  How 
strange  to  think  that  grey  pine-shrouded  Nikko  should 
keep  this  jewel  buried  in  its  bosom ! 


VOL.  II 


M 


162 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


At  last  we  left  the  temples,  and  wandered  back  to 
the  bridge,  near  which  a flight  of  stone  steps  leads  up 
to  other  holy  spots,  temples  and  shrines  crowding  one 
another  on  the  hillsides.  One  stone  marks  the  grave 
of  lyeyasu’s  favourite  horse,  the  one  he  rode  at  the 
great  battle  of  Sekigahara,  which  was  the  turning- 
point  of  his  life.  The  old  horse  was  turned  loose  in 
these  sacred  hills  after  its  master’s  death,  and  lived 
many  years  in  freedom  among  the  pines.  At  the  end 
of  the  walk  from  the  bridge,  by  the  bank  of  the  river, 
stand  a long,  long  row  of  strange  little  Buddhas,  all 
exactly  alike,  their  gentle  faces  quite  obliterated  by  moss 
and  spray,  only  their  outline  telling  what  they  are.  The 
torrent  keeps  them  always  wet,  and  sings  here  such  a 
loud  rushing  song  that  one’s  senses  get  dazed,  and  no 
one  ever  counts  the  moss-shrouded  images  right.  The 
Japanese  call  them  the  five  hundred  Buddhas;  but  there 
is  nothing  like  such  a number  as  that.  I think  they 
object  to  being  counted.  Tradition  says  that  no  two 
people  have  ever  counted  them  alike ; and,  indeed,  when 
the  river  is  running  high,  it  is  not  easy  to  get  to  them 
all.  They  look  intensely  weird  and  lonely,  and  a pro- 
found melancholy  seems  to  hang  around  the  long  grey 
line.  Some  time  ago,  in  a violent  storm,  one  of  them 
leapt  from  his  place,  and  went  bounding  down  the 
stream  as  far  as  Imaichi,  the  village  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill;  then  he  turned  and  stopped,  with  his  blind  face 
towards  his  old  home,  and  there  he  stands  to  this  day ; 
but  none  of  his  companions  have  found  courage  to 
follow  him. 


THE  LONG.  LONG  ROW  OF  lUJDDHAS 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


165 


Wisely  had  we  chosen  the  moment  of  our  visit  to 
the  Nikko  hills ; for,  beyond  the  sombre  mantle  of  the 
pines,  the  mountain-sides  were  clothed  in  a curtain  of 
scarlet  and  gold,  a curtain  woven  of  the  star-shaped 
leaves  of  innumerable  maple  trees,  hanging  to  the  cliffs 
as  children  hang  to  the  skirts  of  their  mother.  The 
path  up  to  Chuzenji  was  all  aglow  with  them ; and  where 
it  wound  directly  under  their  branches,  fired  from  above 
with  the  noonday  sun,  the  effect  of  colour  was  so  strong 
that  it  caused  sudden  dizziness,  and  I had  to  close  my 
eyes  for  a moment  before  I could  support  it.  All  the 
waterfalls  on  the  way  (and  Nikko  is  the  home  of  water- 
falls) were  studded  with  a spray  of  jewel-tinted  leaves, 
mingling  with  the  iridescent  showers ; every  pool  was 
the  harbour  where  thousand-sailed  fleets  of  golden 
leaves  rose  and  fell  on  the  delicately  ruffled  surface  of 
the  flood ; the  path  was  all  paved  with  crimson  stars, 
laid  on  a soft  mosaic  of  bronze  and  orange ; and  every- 
where was  that  delicious  fleeting  smell  of  autumn  woods 
where  the  summer  has  breathed  its  parting  sigh.  I 
was  happily  surprised  by  finding  the  maples  up  here  so 
late  in  coming  to  their  glory;  for  ours  in  the  Tokyo 
gardens,  exposed  to  sharp  winds,  are  already  curled 
and  brown.  But  the  woods  were  always  gracious  to 
me,  their  worshipper ; and  the  leaves  have  hung  on  in 
the  sheltered  dells  to  give  me  the  greeting  that  Caesar 
heard  of  old,  Morituri  te  salutant.” 

At  last  the  wooded  steeps  are  left  behind,  and  we 
reach  a level  road  that  leads,  with  a bend  and  a sudden 
turn,  right  out  on  the  edge  of  a lake ; an  upland  lake. 


166 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


of  crystal  water  and  sun-searched  deeps,  with  all  the 
sky  to  dream  over  it,  all  the  daylight,  the  transparent 
living  daylight  of  Dai  Nihon,  to  smooth  its  frets  of  blue 
and  gold  to  one  wide  white  calm.  The  hills  fall  back 
a little  from  its  sides ; the  woods  stand  shyly  off  from 
its  silver  strand ; all  the  world  just  uoav  seems  to 


culminate  in  this  perfect  jewel,  held  up  in  the  palm  of 
the  hills  for  heaven  to  gaze  upon.  I too  will  gaze, 
for  I shall  not  see  the  like  of  this  untouched  peace 
again.  The  rest  may  wander  and  climb,  and  even  try 
the  steep  ascent  of  great  Nantai  San ; but  not  I.  I 
will  sit  and  drink  the  light  here,  and  learn  the  silences 
of  peace,  and  hear  the  wordless  music  of  the  ripple 
at  my  feet,  as  soft  and  even  as  the  breath  of  infancy. 


CHUZENJI  LAKE 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


167 


Space  to  breathe  with  one’s  face  to  the  sky,  solitude, 
and  the  ceasing  of  this  world’s  voices,  speechless 
beauty  all  around,  and  the  bine  dome  of  the  heart’s 
home  above,  — why  go  farther  ? Here  is  the  City  of 
Rest. 


V 


CHAPTER  XXX 


ANOTHER  CHRISTMAS  TREE.  — BABIES,  EUROPEAN  AND  JAP- 
ANESE.— IDEALS  OF  HOME  AND  SCHOOL.  — A DAY  AT 
MEGURO.  — A LITTLE  SAMURAI  GIRL. — A VISITATION 
OP  INFLUENZA.  — MIYANOSHITA  AS  A SANATORIUM. — 
BURNING  OF  THE  HOUSES  OF  PARLIAMENT 


HE  New  Year  lias  come  round  again;  but  it  has 


brought  such  a frightful  visitation  of  influenza 
that  our  little  society  has  hardly  had  strength  to  ex- 
change the  usual  greetings  and  good  wishes.  1 am 
told  that  the  scourge  was  let  loose  in  Tokyo  at  an 
innocent  Christmas  party  in  our  house,  where  we  had 
ventured  to  gather  together  all  our  European  and 
Japanese  friends  round  a huge  Christmas  tree,  to  the 
great  delight  of  the  little  Japanese  children,  to  whom 
the  sight  Avas  as  surprising  as  it  Avas  to  the  compound 
children  last  year.  We  had  placed  our  tree  in  the 
inner  part  of  the  hall,  Avhere  the  great  staircase  makes 
its  three  turns  round  a square  space,  usually  filled  AAntli 
plants  and  easy-chairs.  That  day  eA^erything  AA^as  turned 
out,  and  the  tree  spread  its  branches  right  up  to  the 
level  of  the  second  floor,  AAfliere,  by  the  AA^ay,  a kind  of 
fire  brigade  Avas  stationed  in  case  of  accidents.  All  this 


January,  1891. 


168 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


169 


was  impenetrably  curtained  off  from  the  entrance  hall, 
until  all  our  guests  had  arrived  and  the  whole  of  our 
Tokyo  world  gathered  together ; then,  at  a given 
signal,  one  of  the  old  Christmas  carols  burst  from 

a choir  hidden  in  a recess,  the  curtains  were  drawn 
aside,  and  the  pyramid  of  light  shone  out  in  all  its 
completeness.  The  sight  was  fairy  like,  and  the  cry  of 

pleasure  that  rang  from  one  end  of  the  hall  to  the 

other  quite  repaid  me  and  the  many  kind  friends  who 
had  been  my  helpers  for  any  trouble  and  fatigue  that 
the  thing  had  cost. 

Then  came  the  distribution  of  our  little  gifts  (a 

serious  business,  for  there  were  at  least  two  hundred 
children,  besides  all  their  grown-up  relations);  and  this 
was  followed  by  a sight  which  to  me  was  as  pretty  as 
the  tree  itself.  The  house  is  not  very  large  for  a gath- 
ering of  this  kind,  and  all  the  available  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor  had’  been  turned  into  supper-rooms  for  the 
grown-up  guests ; so  we  were  obliged  to  lay  the  chil- 
dren’s feast  in  the  long  gallery  on  the  second  floor, 
running  the  whole  length  of  the  hall  below.  This  had 
been  decorated  with  green  wreaths  and  quantities  of 
lanterns,  and  here  little  people  of  every  nationality  sat 
side  by  side  and  made  friends  over  the  bonbons  and 
crackers.  Count  Saigo’s  three  splendid  boys,  in  the 
gold-laced  uniform  of  their  military  school,  insisted  on 
helping  to  wait  on  the  others ; and  it  was  pretty  to  see 
the  dark  aristocratic  heads  bending  ovw  the  fair-haired 
English  babies,  who  smiled  up  confidingly  at  the  kind 
big  boys.  Everybody  sat  down  where  they  could  find 


170 


LETTERS  FEO:\L  JAPAN 


a place ; a small  Princess  Sanjo,  dressed  in  dazzling 
garments  of  crape  and  gold,  lier  hair  held  np  with  gold 
and  amber  chrysanthemums,  made  friends  with  a dear 

little  person  of 
three  who  is  one 
of  my  great  cro- 
nies, a Yorkshire 
Margaret,  with  the 
reddest  hair  and 
the  bluest  eyes  I 
have  ever  seen. 
Her  little  fat  fin- 
gers, already  sticky 
with  sweets,  were 
eager  to  explore 
the  wonders  of  the 
little  Japanese 
lady’s  embroidered 
pocket-book,  with 
its  gold  and  coral 
chains  hanging  out 
in  a fringe  over 
her  splendid  sash. 
The  tiny  Saigo 

ONE  OF  OUR  GUESTS  gi^]^  aiiotlier  Small 

friend  of  mine,  had  l)een  to  foreign  parties  before,  and 
ran  about  as  if  the  place  l)elonged  to  her ; while  lier 
mother  followed  her  everywhere  with  an  amused  smile, 
and  making  many  excuses  for  her  daughter’s  fonvard- 


ness. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


171 


The  grown-up  people  crowded  in  such  numbers 
round  our  beautiful  battalion  of  children  that  there 
was  hardly  room  for  the  attendants  to  wait  on  them 
at  all ; but  the  European  little  ones  looked  after  them- 
selves pretty  effectually,  and  Japanese  children  of  the 
upper  classes  will  not  eat  in  public;  they  take  a bon- 
bon out  of  politeness,  but  it  does  not  enter  into  their 
code  of  manners  to  be  eager  about  food  or  to  partake 
of  it  before  strangers.  They  would,  until  quite  lately, 
have  expected  to  have  their  portion  of  the  feast 
packed  up  in  pretty  boxes  and  put  into  their  car- 
riages, or  sent  to  their  houses  after  they  had  gone 
home.  A reminiscence  of  this  custom  has  brought  me 
a charming  collection  of  Imperial  wine-cups ; for  when- 
ever H lunches  or  dines  with  the  Emperor,  one 

of  these  is  put  into  the  carriage  wrapped  up  in  Palace 
paper.  They  vary  a little  in  design,  but  are  always 
of  transparently  thin  white  porcelain  decorated  with 
gold  chrysanthemums.  At  the  dinners  given  by  the 
Imperial  Princes,  the  parting  gift  is  generally  a silver 
or  enamel  box,  sometimes  of  beautiful  workmanship, 
filled  with  bonbons ; and  wherever  one  dines,  we 
women  at  any  rate  carry  away  baskets  or  bouquets 
of  most  lovely  flowers. 

But  to  return  to  the  Japanese  children.  I told 
you,  I think,  last  year,  how  charmingly  the  servants’ 
little  ones  behaved  (the  tree  was  repeated  for  them 
this  year  too) ; and  I was  glad  to  compare  their  man- 
ners with  those  of  the  small  nobles  whom  we  had 
gathered  together  this  time.  Well,  except  that  the 


172 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


nobles  showed  rather  more  gravity  of  demeanour,  and 
were  far  more  beautiful  to  look  at,  there  was  really 
nothing  to  choose  between  the  classes.  The  same 

suave  calm  manner,  the  same  quiet  thanks  for  gifts 
bestowed,  the  same  self-ehacement  and  consideration 
of  others,  were  shown  at  both  my  parties;  and  I feel 
that  there  must  be  a great  deal  to  say  for  a system 
of  education  which,  wdthout  robbing  childhood  of  a 
moment’s  bright  happiness,  can  clothe  little  children  of 
every  condition  with  this  garment  of  perfect  courtesy. 
I have  rarely  seen  its  match,  except  once  or  twice 
among  little  Austrian  and  Italian  royalties;  but  there 
inheritance  and  environment,  as  well  as  the  high 
standard  of  behaviour  insisted  on  in  all  noble  Catholic 
families,  royal  or  otherwise,  had  had  full  scope,  had 
moulded  the  little  personality  from  the  very  outset 
of  life. 

Here,  explain  it  who  can,  it  is  in  the  blood,  and 
can  be  counted  on  with  absolute  certainty.  It  is,  to 
me,  most  comforting  to  see  that  all  that  is  desirable 
in  the  little  people’s  deportment  can  be  attained  with- 
out snubbings  or  punishments  or  weary  scoldings.  The 
love  showered  upon  children  simply  wraps  them  in 
warmth  and  peace,  and  seems  to  encourage  every 
sweet  good  trait  of  character  without  ever  fostering  a 
bad  one.  Japanese  children  are  never  frightened  into 
telling  lies  or  hiding  their  faults.  Open  as  the  day, 
they  bring  every  joy  or  sorrow  to  father  or  mother 
to  be  shared  or  healed,  and  their  small  likes  or  dis- 
likes are  quite  as  much  taken  into  account  as  those 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPA^ 


173 


of  their  elders.  True,  from  the  time  they  can  begin 
to  understand  anything,  axioms  of  honour,  kindness, 
filial  duty,  and  above  all  patriotism,  are  repeated  and 
explained  to  them  with  a good  faith  and  solemnity 
which  would  send  our  English  schoolboys  off  into 
fits  of  scofiing  laughter.  The  nursery  catechism  takes 
somewhat  this  form  in  Japan. 

What  do  you  love  best  in  the  world  ? ” 

The  Emperor,  of  course.” 

Better  than  father  and  mother?” 

He  is  the  Lord  of  Heaven,  the  father  of  my 
father  and  mother.” 

What  will  you  give  the  Emperor  ? ” 
xAll  my  best  toys,  and  my  life  when  he  wants  it.” 
And  so  on  — and  it  is  all  true,  and  has  been  and 
will  be  proved  again  and  again.  But  there  are  no 
scoffers  in  Japan.  There  are  bitter  haters,  and  per- 
haps as  many  criminals  as  can  be  reasonably  expected 
after  only  thirty  years  of  intercourse  with  civilised 
nations,  the  dela}^s  in  extending  the  railways,  and  the 
tiresome  perfection  of  the  police  system;  but  the  most 
hardened  criminals  have  not  yet  learnt  to  scoff  at 
virtue  and  patriotism,  to  heap  contempt  on  honour 
and  courage  and  humility.  This  grave  belief  in  ab- 
stract things  (which  in  England  to-day  could  only  be 
mentioned  with  an  apologetic  smile  for  one’s  own 
weakness)  is  still  the  foundation  of  education  in  Japan, 
and  gives  the  parent  or  the  teacher  a strength  and 
authority  in  dealing  with  the  young  spirit  which  our 
poor  schoolmasters  can  never  exercise.  I have  known 


174 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


many  of  these  unhappy  men,  and  have  not  yet  found 
one  who  was  believed  in  by  his  pupils.  Indulgent 
tolerance  from  big  boys,  who  can  afford  to  say,  Old 
So-and-so  is  an  awful  humbug,  but  not  half  bad  when 
you’re  big  enough  not  to  be  afraid  of  him”;  hatred 
and  fear  from  the  little  fellows,  to  whom  all  morality 
is  made  horrible  because  their  chief  torturer  is  proba- 
bly their  preacher  as  well,  — this  is  what  our  dominie 
gets  at  home,  this  is  what  I have  seen  and  shuddered 
at  for  so  many  years  in  dear  Protestant  England,  that 
it  is  an  unspeakable  relief  to  be  among  people  where 
the  teacher  is  still  venerated,  where  the  position  of 
master  in  a school  is  considered  honourable  enough  for 
the  eldest  son  of  a great  noble  to  accept  it  gladly, 
where  education  leads  youth  unblushingly  back  to  the 
feet  of  those  great  schoolmistresses  the  cardinal  virtues, 
and  still  has  for  its  object  to  make  gentlemen,  scholars, 
and  patriots  out  of  Japanese  subjects.  In  this  rever- 
ence for  truly  great  men  and  things  lies  the  real 
strength  of  the  people — a strength  which  may  or  may 
not  be  assisted  by  modern  armaments  and  modern 
legislation.  I am  certain  that  it  will  never  be  called 
upon  in  vain,  and  will  never  be  finally  vanquished 
by  evil. 

No  one  can  deny  that  there  are  turbulent  students  in 
some  of  the  Japanese  colleges ; and  occasionally  where 
a teacher  has  given  real  dissatisfaction  (generally  from 
wishing  to  introduce  some  unpopular  innovation)  the 
whole  class  or  the  whole  college  will  strike,  and  refuse 
to  attend  any  of  the  lectures  until  the  obnoxious  pro- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


175 


fessor  has  been  changed.  Bat  there  is  no  want  of 
respect  for  his  office  involved  in  the  rebellion,  in  which 
as  a rule  the  strikers  are  warmly  supported  by  their 
relatives.  It  is  the  man,  the  individual  teacher,  who, 
as  they  consider,  fills  the  office  unworthily ; and  since 
there  has  never  been  any  necessity  for  promulgating 
laws  forcing  attendance  at  school  in  this  country,  the 
scholars  are  not  breaking  the  law  by  staying  away. 
They  troop  back  to  their  classroom  the  moment  that 
the  grievance  is  removed,  and,  as  far  as  I can  judge  by 
reading  accounts  of  such  j)Tonunciamientos^  do  not  abuse 
their  power.  On  the  whole,  they  do  not  much  care 
about  foreign  teachers ; and  though  some  have  become 
greatly  beloved,  others  have  been  violently  unpopular, 
on  account  of  their  rough  methods,  more  approaching 
the  familiar  brutalities  of  the  English  clergyman-school- 
master when  dealing  with  very  small  and  weak  boys. 
Terrible  trouble  has  been  caused  here  in  girls’  schools, 
chiefly  in  those  recruited  from  the  upper  middle  classes, 
when  a foreign  mistress  has  so  far  lost  her  temper  as 
to  strike  a pupil.  Then  the  whole  body  of  girls  would 
leave  at  once,  and  only  consent  to  attend  again  when 
a proper  apology  for  the  insult  had  been  offered  and 
accepted. 

A terrible  scene  took  place  in  one  of  the  college 
playgrounds  some  time  ago,  when  two  foreign  teachers, 
instead  of  entering  by  the  proper  gate,  jumped  over  a 
fence  to  join  the  boys  (youths  of  seventeen  and  eighteen) 
in  a game  of  football.  The  lads  flew  at  them,  and  mal- 
treated them  very  severely,  one  gentleman  having  the 


176 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


impression  that  he  had  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  The 
onset  was  cruel  and  unprovoked,  as  far  as  the  victims  of 
it  knew ; but  some  slight  excuse  may  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  it  took  place  during  a time  of  intense  anti- 
foreign  excitement,  that  soshi  principles  and  false  views 
of  patriotism  were  everywhere  in  the  air,  and  that  every 
boy  in  Tokyo  was  boiling  with  rage  at  an  absurd  story 
which  had  got  about  that  a well-known  missionary 
teacher  in  Tsukiji  had  refused  to  take  off  his  hat  when 
the  Emperor  drove  by.  The  unfortunate  teacher  in 
question  had  to  claim  British  protection,  and  was  so 
pestered  by  threatening  letters  and  excitable  young 
patriots  that  he  wisely  decided  to  leave  the  country 
for  a few  months  and  take  a short  holiday.  All  this 
sounds  very  absurd  and  unreasonable ; but  is  it  not 
the  defaut  d\ine  qualitCj  the  one  weak  point  in  a tower 
of  strength,  the  hard  shadow  cast  by  a blazing  sun 
of  patriotism  where  none  would  have  been  visible  in 
the  dull  grey  light  of  indifference  ? 

I have  wandered  from  the  congenial  subject  of 
Japanese  children  to  the  more  puzzling  one  of  their 
elders ; and  yet  it  was  about  the  children  that  I meant 
to  write  to  you  to-day.  I have  several  small  friends 
amongst  them,  and  I think,  when  they  are  not  made 
to  play  tunes  on  the  piano  or  repeat  French  fables  for 
me,  that  they  are  really  glad  to  see  me.  They  do  not 
readily  join  in  the  noisy  games  of  our  young  English 
friends,  who  invade  the  compound  on  Saturday  after- 
noons, and  make  the  place  ring  with  those  delightful 
squeals  of  joy  such  as  only  English  lungs  can  produce. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


177 


But  in  their  quieter  way  they  enjoy  things  quite  as  much. 
One  of  the  prettiest  sights  of  last  year  was  a fancy-dress 
ballj  where  the  little  Japanese  nobles  came  in  costumes 
of  war  or  the  chase,  the  most  elaborate  and  splendid 
that  I have  ever  seen.  Every  detail  was  carried  out 
in  antique  stuffs ; the  weapons  and  ornaments  were  the 
original  ones  use'd  by  children  of  the  family  hundreds 
of  years  ago,  and  kept  as  precious  relics  through  all 
wars  and  revolutions.  The  solemnity  with  which  these 
were  worn  was  pretty  to  see.  Evidently  tlie  little  boys 
attached  something  of  religious  veneration  to  the  things 
which  they  were  permitted  to  handle  on  that  one  day. 
The  girls  were  quite  as  splendid ; but  their  every-day 
dress  is  so  brilliant  and  rich  that  one  noticed  the  change 
less  in  them  than  in  their  brothers.  One  or  two  had 
on  robes  given  them  by  the  Empress,  who  is  fond  of 
children,  and  often  sends  for  the  little  ones  to  come 
and  see  her.  When  they  were  all  assembled,  the 
master  of  the  house  (an  artistic,  appreciative  English- 
man, who  is  legal  adviser  to  the  Japanese  Foreign 
Office)  marshalled  the  small  people  in  a long  procession, 
where  fierce-looking  young  gods  of  war  led  fair-haired 
Red  Riding  Hoods  by  the  hand,  where  a little  carter 
in  his  smock-frock  and  long  whip  was  accompanied  by 
a small  damsel  out  of  a fairy  tale,  wearing  trailing  robes 
of  purple  and  gold,  looking  as  gay  and  delicate  as  a 
Brazilian  humming-bird.  One  of  the  loveliest  there, 

little  Madgie  M , an  English  child,  so  beautiful  that 

we  all  took  a sort  of  national  pride  in  her,  has  passed 
away  to  the  country  where  she  will  be  young  and  fair 


VOL.  II 


N 


178 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


to  all  eternity.  One  misses  the  little  angel  face  at  this 
year’s  gatherings. 

A little  while  ago  we  went  ont  to  spend  the  day  at 
Megnro,  Countess  Saigo’s  beautiful  place  in  the  country. 
I say  Countess  Saigo’s  because  her  husband  laughingly 

disclaims  having  anything 
to  do  with  such  a femi- 
nine domain.  Look  at 
all  these  flowers,  and  the 
silkworms,  and  the  chil- 
dren ! ” he  says ; does  it 
look  like  a rough  sailor’s 
house?”  Audit 
does  not,  though  the  way 
everything  revolves  round 
tlie  First  Lord  of  the  Ad- 
miralty tells  how  he  is 
loved  and  honoured  there. 
After  an  elaborate  lunch, 
we  women  rose  from  table, 
and  my  hostess  beckoned 
to  me  to  follow  her.  I 
knew  whither  she  was 
leading  me  — to  look  at 
the  portrait  of  her  eldest  son,  a brave  and  brilliant  boy, 
who  died  while  at  school  in  Europe,  and  whom  she 
never  forgets,  even  when  surrounded  by  all  her  other 
children.  There  is  always  a little  sadness  in  her  smile, 
a grave  note  in  her  gentle  voice  as  of  pain  accepted 
and  forgiven.  I followed  her  in  silence;  and  her  three- 


ONE  OF  THE  CHILDREN 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


1T9 


year-old  daughter  caught  her  dress  and  toddled  along 
at  her  side.  A little  off  the  hall  we  entered  a small 
quiet  room,  where,  near  a window,  so  that  all  the 
daylight  illuminated  it,  was  the  portrait,  a life-size 
head,  of  the  dead  boy.  There  were  fresh  flowers  on 
either  side,  incense-sticks  burning  fragrantly,  and  in 
front,  on  a small  table  like  those  used  in  the  temples 
for  presenting  offerings,  a collection  of  tiny  plates 
containing  atoms  of  food  from  all  the  complicated 
French  dishes  of  the  lunch  from  which  we  had  just 
risen.  ^ 

It  is  some  years  since  the  boy  died ; but  from 
every  meal  partaken  of  in  the  great  house  his  share 
has  been  set  aside  — he  is  not  forgotten.  The  little 
sister,  who  never  knew  him,  stands  up  on  tiptoe  in 
her  flowery  robes,  and  gravely  examines  the  small 
dishes  to  see  if  all  is  in  place.  She  would  no  more 
think  of  touching  the  dainties  than  of  striking  her 
mother’s  beautiful  face.  My  brother,”  she  lisps 
proudly,  as  she  pulls  at  my  dress  and  points  to  the 
picture.  But  the  mother  has  turned  her  face  away, 
and,  with  one  deep  salutation  to  her  son’s  picture, 
leads  us  out.  We  join  the  rest,  and  spend  a long 
gay  afternoon  in  wandering  about  the  grounds,  pick- 
ing flowers,  and  examining  the  great  house  full  of 
silkworms,  who  provide  all  the  clothing  for  our  hostess 
and  her  daughter. 

send  it  to  Saikyo  to  be  dyed  and  woven,”  says 
the  Countess.  See  what  a pretty  pattern  I have 
chosen  for  my  daughter’s  new  obi!''  and  she  holds 


180 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


out  a piece  of  French  ribbon,  with  Louis  XY.  bou- 
quets and  love-knots  in  pink  on  a pale-green  ground. 

But  it  is  a European  design!”  I cried.  Don’t 
you  think  your  own  are  much  prettier?” 

Then  the  Count  spoke,  laughing  as  usual.  Yes, 
please  tell  my  wife  that  she  should  not  venture  on 
European  costume.  She  looks  as  large  as  — a sake-tub 
in  those  tight-fitting  things.”  Which  was  a deliberate 
untruth,  for  he  and  we  and  the  Countess  herself  know 
that  she  is  one  of  the  few  Japanese  ladies  who  have 
what  our  dressmakers  call  a figure  — the  only  one  who 
looks  as  well  in  our  costume  as  in  her  own. 

Don’t  listen  to  him,  Mrs.  Fraser!”  she  retorted, 
laughing  gaily.  He  only  lives  to  tease ; and  if  it 
hurt,  I should  long  have  ceased  to  live.” 

Then  the  Count  has  a portrait  to  show  me,  and  I 
am  taken  indoors  again  to  see  a most  villainous  full- 
length  painting  of  the  little  daughter  in  her  kimono 
which  was  given  by  the  Empress ; and  I try  to  con- 
ceal my  feelings  about  the  crude  production,  which  is 
barely  recognisable  as  a likeness.  Both  father  and 
mother  seem  to  worship  the  small  girl,  who  is  the 
most  benignant  of  family  tyrants  now,  and  whose 
character  is  forming  visibly  in  the  maturing  sunshine 
of  her  home.  I was  much  impressed  last  autumn  by 
seeing  her,  tiny  as  she  was,  insist  on  taking  part  in 
some  egg-and-spoon  races  which  were  going  on  at  a 
children’s  garden  party  composed  chiefly  of  Europeans. 
The  little  Saigo  girl  was  the  youngest  there ; but 
when  asked  if  she  would  run  with  the  others  over 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


181 


the  grassy  little  racecourse,  she  nodded  gravely,  took 
the  egg  and  spoon  in  both  hands,  and  started  off,  her 
long  robe  with  its  delicate  colours  sweeping  the  turf, 
her  little  feet  scurrying  along  under  it  in  their  minia- 
ture sandals,  and  her  whole  soul  concentrated  on  get- 
ting the  egg  to  the  goal  in  the  spoon,  although  she 
had  not  the  slightest  idea  why  the  feat  had  to  be  per- 
formed. It  was  evidently  a 
highly  honourable  thing  for 
a samurai  s daughter  to  do, 
so  — come  on  ! She  was  so 
small  that  the  roses  and  lilies 
of  the  garden  over-topped  her 
little  head,  and  in  a minute  or 
two  all  the  other  children  had 
left  her  far  behind ; but  she 
would  not  give  in,  and  pressed 
bravely  round  the  whole 
course,  her  lips  quivering, 
large  tears  rolling  down  her 
cheeks,  which  had  lost  all 
their  colour  except  the  two  spots  of  rouge,  her  little  chest 
heaving  pitifully  while  her  mother,  who  walked  by  her 
side,  tried  to  persuade  her  that  the  game  was  for  bigger 
and  stronger  children.  No ; she  had  begun,  and  the 
samurai  spirit  would  brook  no  defeat.  A hundred  eyes 
were  on  her  when  she  neared  the  goal,  and  something 
uncommonly  like  a cheer  went  up  from  the  society 
crowd  when  she  reached  it.  She  did  not  break  down 
even  then,  but  gravely  returned  the  dreadful  egg  and 


CARRYING  DOLLY 


182 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


spoon  to  her  hostess,  bowed  her  due  thanks  when  a 
prize  dolly  was  presented  to  her,  and  then  walked 
back  to  her  seat  beside  her  mother,  as  if  egg-and- 
spoon  races  were  her  usual  exercise ! 

Yet  she  is  not  very  strong.  When  the  cold  days 
came  she  pined,  and  lost  her  appetite  (she  and  her 
brothers  are  brought  up  on  European  food);  and  her 
mother  took  her  down  to  Numadzu,  where  the  sun 
shines  warm  among  the  pine  woods  even  in  winter, 
because  the  Kuro  Shiwo,  the  warm  stream  in  the  sea, 
bathes  all  that  coast.  I went  to  see  them  when  they 
returned,  and  found  them  installed  in  the  official  resi- 
dence, a big  European  building  in  the  town.  ^‘How 
is  O’lone  San  VI  asked.  Much  better,’'  her  mother 
replied.  Dr.  Hashimoto  has  ordered  her  to  learn 
dancing  as  a gymnastic  exercise,  and  it  has  done  her 
so  much  good!”  Just  then  a servant  held  oj)en  the 
door,  and  O’lone  San  entered,  and  came  to  greet  me. 

Will  you  dance  for  me,  O’lone  San  ? ” I asked ; and 
the  sweet  round  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure.  Then,” 
said  her  mother,  O’lone  San  must  go  and  put  on  her 
dancing  clothes.”  I like  dancing  clothes,”  she  re- 
plied. And  at  a nod  from  her  mother  the  maid  carried 
her  olf  to  be  dressed. 

This  was  evidently  rather  an  elaborate  business ; but 
at  last  the  doors  were  thrown  open  with  some  pomp, 
three  women  musicians  in  dark  silk  gowns  entered, 
bowed  profoundly,  and  ranged  themselves  on  the  floor 
against  the  wall ; they  were  followed  by  a maid,  who 
spread  a square  of  fine  matting  over  the  carpet;  and 


LETTEKS  EROM  JAPAN 


183 


then  came  the  little  lady  herself,  dressed  in  a strange 
black-and-white  costume,  much  more  severe  than  any- 
thing she  usually  wears,  and  opening  robe  over  robe 
in  front  to  give  her  small  feet  play.  Her  hair  had  all 
been  done  again,  and  was  full  of  ornaments ; and  her 
expression  was  as  grave  as  her  gown.  She  came  and 
stood  on  the  mat,  then  knelt  down  and  touched  her 
head  to  the  ground,  and  then  the  music  began,  strange 
strident  notes,  with  a strong  humming  accompaniment, 
and  quick  beats  through  it  like  pursuing  feet  and  sobs 
as  of  labouring  breath,  that  weird  Japanese  music  which 
is  to  me  the  saddest  in  the^vorld. 

But  this  time  I hardly  noticed  the  music  in  my 
wonder  at  the  precision  and  freedom,  the  grace  and  the 
strength,  of  the  child’s  dancing.  Every  movement  had 
been  learnt  to  perfection ; her  little  body  swayed  over 
to  this  side  or  that,  recovered  itself  at  the  right  angle, 
seemed  to  be  rising  from  the  ground  on  those  long 
winglike  sleeves,  or  striking  it  in  anger  with  a little 
white  heel  that  stamped  with  the  sharpness  of  a hammer 
on  the  ground.  She  turned  and  twisted,  whirled  her 
skirts  like  a wheel,  or  slid  round  her  square  Avith  them 
clinging  closely  to  her  childish  limbs ; and  when  the 
dance  was  over  knelt  again  and  knocked  her  head  on 
the  floor,  and  stood  up  to  begin  another,  giving  her 
orders  to  the  musicians  in  one  authoritative  Avord. 
They  were  women  with  refined  faces  and  delicate  hands, 
women  of  the  samurai  servant  type ; and  they  smiled 
proudly  at  their  little  mistress  as  she  showed  off  her 
new  accomplishment,  mastered  in  a wonderfully  short 


184 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


YORKSHIRE  MARGARET  AND  HER  BROTHERS 


time,  for  she  had  then  only  been  learning  for  about 
three  months.  The  finest  dance  she  kept  for  the  last ; 
it  consisted  of  some  wonderfid  evolutions  with  a fan, 
which  flew  hither  and  thither,  opened  and  shut,  and 
wheeled  about  with  such  rapidity  and  verve  that  it 
seemed  like  a live  thing,  and  the  sharp  click  of  its  slats 
opening  and  closing  kept  time  to  the  hurrying  music. 
When  she  stopped  at  last,  it  was  without  a sign  of 
fatigue ; and  I found,  on  rising  to  go,  that  she  had 
been  dancing  just  an  hour ! 

All  our  pleasant  engagements  have  been  broken  up 
by  the  influenza,  which  seems  to  have  taken  the  gath- 
ering of  our  small  world  round  my  Christmas  tree  as 
a convenient  occasion  for  spreading  itself  over  Tokyo. 
The  next  day  whole  households  were  in  bed,  and 
within  a week  the  town  was  one  large  hospital.  In 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


185 


the  Palace  there  was  hardly  any  one  left  to  attend  on 
the  Empress,  who  was  very  ill.  One  lady-in-waiting 
only  was  spared,  and  she  was  nursing  all  the  others 
and  the  Empress  as  well.  In  many  houses  there  was 
not  even  a servant  who  could  light  the  kitchen  fire ; 
and  one  of  my  friends,  too  ill  herself  to  go  downstairs 
to  do  it,  kej^t  her  family  alive  on  Liebig’s  extract 
cooked  over  a spirit-lamp  beside  her  bed.  As  for 
us,  w^e  fared  better  than  some  of  our  neighbours, 
because  our  loyal  little  servants  endured  everything 
rather  than  let  the  kitchen  fires  quite  go  out ; but  — 
we  had  thirteen  people  in  the  house  down  with  it  at 
once,  including  ourselves.  My  own  first  notice  of  its 
arrival  was  an  attack  of  such  sick  mental  despair 
that  I thought  I must  be  going  out  of  my  mind;  then 
I felt  myself  falling  on  top  of  my  little  amah,  O’Matsu, 
and  just  called  out  to  her  not  to  get  killed  — and  the 
rest  was  black  darkness,  from  which  it  took  me  a long 
time  to  recover.  Every  engagement  was  cancelled ; 
people  were  too  ill  to  ask  if  even  their  best  friends 
were  still  alive ; and  as  soon  as  we  could  crawl  down 
to  the  carriage,  we  w^ent  off  to  Miyanoshita  to  try 
and  recover  strength.  Miyanoshita  was  soon  full  of 
other  victims,  who  came  on  the  same  errand ; but  as 
we  were  all  suffering  from  the  inevitable  after-depres- 
sion which  the  scourge  leaves  behind  it,  we  avoided 
each  other  sedulously,  and  when  we  had  to  meet  were 
all  as  grumpy  and  reserved  as  if  we  had  just  left  Eng- 
land for  the  first  time  and  were  afraid  of  making 
undesirable  acquaintances.” 


186 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Miyanosliita  worked  wonders,  and  the  weather  was 
glorious,  though  bitterly  cold.  Enormous  icicles  hung 
over  all  the  bridges ; the  fairy  waterfall  on  the  road 
to  Riga  was  just  a film  of  frozen  spray.  .But  the  sun 
shone  in  the  daytime ; we  made  roaring  fires  of  pine 
logs  and  cones  in  the  sweet-smelling  wooden  rooms ; 
Kelly  and  Walsh,  the  beneficent  booksellers  in  Yoko- 
hama, sent  us  piles  of  new  books  and  papers ; and  in 
a fortnight  we  found  that  we  could  answer  a plain 
question  civilly,  look  at  food  without  nausea,  and  trust 
our  feet  to  take  short  walks.  Then  uprose  the  great 
question  of  neglected  work,  unread  despatches,  unreg- 
ulated affairs.  Let  the  things  lie,’'  I pleaded  ; who 
wants  to  hear  from  such  a hotbed  of  sickness  as  our 
unlucky  compound  ? ” But  my  arguments  were  ruled 
away  as  beside  the  mark,  and,  feeling  still  rather  shaky, 
we  returned  to  our  stricken  home. 

I wonder  if  there  is  a session  going  on,”  I said,  as, 
driving  up  from  Shimbashi  to  the  Legation,  I noticed 
a crowd  gathered  at  the  end  of  the  wide  road  which 
leads  to  the  new  Houses  of  Parliament.  Then  the 
coachman  turned,  and  drove  down  the  road  itself. 
There  were  no  Houses  of  Parliament  there.  Forty  brick 
chimneys  rose  straight  from  the  ground,  which  was 
layered  with  ashes.  Smoke  was  still  rising  from  them 
in  a dull  spent  way  here  and  there.  The  Chamber  of 
Representatives,  the  Chamber  of  Peers,  the  committee- 
rooms  and  reception-rooms  and  fire-proof  archive-rooms, 
had  all  been  burnt  to  the  ground.  The  electric  wires 
had  ignited,  and  the  fire  had  taken  exactly  five  hours 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


187 


to  consume  the  whole  building,  in  the  early  morning  of 
the  day  on  which  we  travelled  down  from  Miyanoshita. 

A formal  reception  at  the  Palace  has  had  to  be 
given  up.  All  the  electric  wires  there  were  at  once 
disconnected  after  this  catastrophe.  No  other  means 
of  lighting  the  huge  place  was  ever  contemplated, 
and  the  ladies  of  honour  say  that  really  it  is  better 
to  go  to  bed  by  daylight  than  to  sit  up  with  one  candle 
— after  one  has  had  the  influenza ! 


r 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


A READING  SOCIETY.  — STORIES  FOR  THE  JAPANESE  LADIES. 

• — THE  empress’s  VERSES.  — THE  EXAGGERATION  OF 
A VIRTUE.  — MARRIAGE,  EASTERN  AND  WESTERN.  — 
MOTHERHOOD  AND  FATHERHOOD.  — PARENTAL  TIES.  — 
NEW  LAWS  OF  INHERITANCE 


HO  was  the  Irishman  who  declared  that  the 


population  had  been  decimated  by  one-third  ” ? 
The  description  might  apply  to  Tokyo  since  the  visita- 
tion of  influenza.  It  spared  nobody,  falling  first  upon 
the  foreign  community,  and  then  on  the  Japanese ; 
from  the  Emperor  and  Empress  down  to  the  last  coolie, 
every  one  seems  to  have  had  it.  Society  has  put  up 
the  shutters,  and  Tokyo  is  so  dull  that  I find  myself 
regretting  the  mountain  walks  round  Miyanoshita, 
where,  as  I told  you,  we  went  up  to  recruit.  The  last 
of  my  walks  I took  late  in  the  day  before  we  left,  and 
the  memory  came  home  with  me  here.  The  sun  had 
set,  but  had  left  a crystal  clearness  in  the  sky,  which 
was  just  beginning  to  turn  lilac  behind  the  enclosing 
hills.  A new-born  moon,  like  a silver  feather,  hung 
over  the  flush  of  amethyst,  and  the  pine  trees  were 
beginning  to  make  black  fringes  on  the  mountain-edges 
against  the  sky.  The  air  was  intensely  cold,  but  full  of 


Tokyo,  February,  1891. 


188 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


189 


the  sound  of  unconquered  brooks,  some  boiling  hot  and 
sending  up  wreaths  of  smoke  as  they  rushed  down  in  a 
neck-and-neck  race  with  a cold  rival  fringed  with  icicles, 
as  if  to  see  who  could  reach  the  gorge  first  in  the  sight 
of  the  watching  woods.  I went  up  into  the  valleys 
behind  the  house,  right  towards  the  sunset.  I relapse 
into  savagery  in  the  country,  and  commit  many  hassesses 
to  get  my  walks  alone.  There  is  only  one  thing  in  life 
which  for  dear  comfort  equals  a solitary  ramble  among 
the  hills  on  a grey  winter  afternoon  — and  that  is  the 
Ninth  Symphony ! ^ 

The  universal  epidemic  has  broken  up  some  little 
readings  in  which  I had  been  much  interested  from 
two  points  of  view  — a selfish  and  an  unselfish  one.  As 
most  actions  are  none  the  worse  for  being  shown  off 
in  the  best  light,  I will  tell  you  of  the  unselfish  one 
first.  In  some  of  our  long  conversations  with  Japanese 
ladies,  I noticed  how  eagerly  they  listened  to  any 
story  of  valour,  heroism,  or  filial  piety.  Very  often, 
not  knowing  quite  how  to  amuse  our  visitors,  we  have 
shown  them  pictures  and  engravings,  all  of  which  had 
to  be  explained  and  illustrated  clearly  to  their  minds. 
They  think  it  impolite  to  pay  a short  visit,  so  as  a 
rule  there  has  been  plenty  of  time  to  develope  our 
themes.  I have  found  the  strongest  interest  excited  by 
anything  connected  with  our  Queen ; and  a splendid 
old  copy  of  Pyne’s  Royal  Residences,  out  of  my 
American  grandfather’s  library,  was  almost  the  most 
popular  of  the  picture-books.  Then,  seeing  how  shut 
off  from  intellectual  amusements  is  the  life  of  the 


190 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


should  have  by  far  the  greater  credit  for  any  success 
that  we  achieved.  She  is  spending  all  her  time,  money, 
and  strength  on  helping  the  Japanese  ladies  in  those 
directions  where  from  tradition  and  circumstance  they 
are  narrow  and  stunted.  She  is  frankly  a missionary, 
in  her  own  quiet  independent  way,  and  can  talk  to 


Japanese  lady,  a friend  and  I put  our  heads  together 
to  see  if  we  could  not  provide  some  little  entertain- 
ment for  these  dear  women,  who  have  shown  us 
such  endless  kindnesses  since  we  came.  My  friend 


A JAPANESE  PROFESSOR  AND  HIS  FAMILY 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


191 


them  of  Christianity  as  it  would  be  quite  unfitting  for 
me  to  do.  But  she  is  so  grande  dame^  so  Japanese  in 
her  intense  consideration  for  others,  that  she  has  won 
their  complete  confidence ; they  send  their  boys  and 
girls  to  her  to  be  taught  English  and  English  modes 
of  thought,  even  where  they  are  not  inclined  to  become 
Christians  themselves.  I constantly  meet  the  Saigo 
children  there,  and  little  Princess  Kujo,  Princess  Sanjo 
and  her  daughter,  and  many  another ; and  no  one  ever 
speaks  of  the  mistress  of  the  house  except  as  ^^Dear 
Mrs.  K .”  She  looks  upon  me  as  a bigoted  Catho- 

lic, and  I tell  her  that  she  will  be  saved  by  her  invincible 
ignorance,  i.e.  good  faith ; and  then  we  leave  controversy 
on  one  side,  and  work  our  little  schemes  out  together 
with  perfect  harmony  and  success. 

Now  for  the  other  motive,  the  selfish  one.  I want 
to  be  brought  nearer  to  the  lives  of  these  Japanese 
women,  both  from  the  interest  and  sympathy  I feel  for 
them,  and  because,  although  on  some  -points  my  know- 
ledge is  wider  and  more  accurate  than  theirs,  yet  there 
are  many  others  where  I am  glad  to  learn  from  them. 

I think  it  was  in  October  that  I had  what  the 
papers  called  an  official  tea  party,  at  which  we  collected 
all  the  women  of  importance  in  our  little  world,  and 
asked  them  if  they  would  care  to  come  to  me  once  a 
fortnight  to  hear  pretty  stories”  read  and  talked  over. 
I could  give  them  as  an  example  my  English  reading 
society,  where  twenty  or  thirty  women  meet  and  read 
and  discuss  English  literature  with  very  keen  interest. 
The  idea  was  new,  and  pleased  them  greatly ; though 


192 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


I think  one  or  two  feared  that,  as  my  coadjutor  worked 
so  frankly  for  Christian  interests,  this  might  be  a 
scheme  to  forward  them.  However,  they  all  accepted, 
and  have  been  most  faithful  about  coming.  Of  course 
there  were  many  things  to  be  thought  of  and  prepared. 
The  first  story  had  to  be  one  which  would  appeal  to 
their  sense  of  all  that  was  fit  and  proper.  After  much 
deliberation,  we  fixed  on  a tale  of  filial  piety,  the  im- 
memorial Exiles  of  Siberia,”  with  its  wonderful  story 
of  a daughter’s  devotion  to  her  parents.  Then  the 
translation  had  to  be  put  into  flowery  language  full  of 
pretty  conceits,  or  else  the  sensitive  ears  of  these  dainty 
Court  ladies  would  not  listen  to  it  for  a moment ; and 
the  business  of  finding  a proper  translator  brought  me 
into  contact  with  my  first  friend  of  the  professor  class 
in  Japan  — a woman  so  cultivated  and  modest  and 
charming  that  I shall  always  feel  the  richer  for  hav- 
ing known  her.  Her  husband  is  a professor  in  one  of 
the  colleges ; and  she  has  had  a very  modern  education, 
and  writes  for  Japanese  reviews  and  magazines  (how 
funny  it  sounds !),  of  which  more  are  published  here 
than  foreigners  imagine.  She  had  long  desired  to  be 
of  use  in  cheering  the  rather  monotonous  lives  of  her 
countrywomen,  and,  while  deploring,  as  in  (Japanese) 
duty  bound,  her  own  unworthiness,  }^et  set  about  the 
task  of  translation  with  great  enthusiasm.  The  long 
story  had  to  be  abridged,  and  much  left  out  wliicli 
would  have  been  incomprehensible  to  our  audience ; but 
at  last  it  was  ready,  and  our  little  ladies  gathered  in 
force  to  listen  to  it. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


193 


It  was  with  a new  sensation,  called,  I believe,  shy- 
ness, that  I found  myself  explaining  to  them  what  we 
were  going  to  do.  Our  translator-reader  had  arrived, 
dressed  in  softly  tinted  blue  crape  with  tier  little  mono- 
gram on  back  and 
shoulders.  Every  de-  : 
tail  of  her  costume  was  ; 
fine  and  harmonious, 
her  hair  piled  in  a 
shining  crown  on  her 
small  head,  and  her  \ 
splendid  ohi  — the  most 
expensive  article  in  a 
Japanese  lady’s  dress 
— kept  in  place  by  a 
thick  silk  band  buckled 
with  pure  gold.  At 
first  she  stayed  near  i 
the  door,  explaining  to  | 
me  in  her  pretty  de- 
liberate English  that  i 
she  was  too  small  and  i, 

humble  a person  to  go  ; 

up  to  the  top  of  the 

room  among  all  those  great  ladies.  As  it  was  impossi- 
Ide  for  them  to  hear  her  from  the  door,  she  was  at  last 
prevailed  upon  to  take  a more  prominent  seat.  The 
others  quite  understood  the  hesitation,  but  received  her 
very  graciously,  and  expressed  their  thanks  beforehand 
for  the  trouble  she  had  taken.  Then  I was  asked  to 


VOL.  II 


o 


194 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


read  the  English  before  each  paragraph  of  the  Japanese, 
as  some  of  my  guests,  especially  the  Empress’s  ladies 
who  understand  it,  wished  to  compare  the  two.  And 
at  last  we  began.  \Yell,  it  really  was  a success.  The 
translation  delighted  them  by  its  elevated  style ; and 
the  story  was  after  their  own  hearts : an  unhappy 

parent,  a devoted  child,  an  all-powerful  Emperor  who 
grants  her  prayer,  — why,  the  whole  thing  might  have 
happened  in  Japan!  Who  would  have  thought  that 
foreigners  had  such  a high  morality  ? (This  of  course 
was  not  said  to  me.)  Evidently  there  were  devoted 
children  all  the  world  over,  — and  so  on  1 

Every  two  weeks  we  have  a meeting,  alternately 
with  my  English  one,  which  is  one  of  my  great  interests 
now.  We  finished  Elizabeth,  and  then  gave  them  a 
tale  of  wifely  heroism.  Lady  Nithsdale’s  rescue  of  her 
husband  from  the  Tower,  which  appealed  to  these 
daughters  of  the  samurai^  and  drew  tears  of  admiration 
from  their  eyes.  They  laid  aside  their  studied  calm 
for  once,  and  became  absolutely  enthusiastic  over  the 
heroine’s  courage  and  wit.  When  I went  out  in  the 
world,  the  husbands  of  some  of  them  came  and  thanked 
me  for  the  splendid  story,”  which  had  been  repeated 
all  through  the  family  circles  word  for  word.  At  the 
end  of  every  reading  the  Empress’s  ladies  make  the 
same  polite  little  request  to  be  allowed  to  take  home 
the  manuscript,  so  as  to  read  it  again.”  And  that 
is  what  happens  to  it,  being  read  aloud  to  the  august 
ears,”  only  too  glad  of  some  new  thing,  I fancy,  in 
the  dulness  and  pomp  of  a childless  life.  The  Empress 


letters'  from  japan 


195 


is  fond  of  writing  verses  — a very  touching  one  ap- 
peared the  other  day : The  world  is  great,  and  full 

of  men  and  women,  who  can  tell  each  other  of  the  grief 
or  joy  in  tlieir  hearts.  My  heart  is  also  full ; but  that 
which  it  containeth  I tell  to  God  alone.”  She  composes 
music  too,  and  is,  it  is  said,  the  author  of  the  national 
anthem,  a very  solemn  and  stirring  chant.  I sometimes 
have  fancied  that  the  extreme  faithfulness  and  earnest 
attention  of  her  ladies  to  our  little  readings  was  not 
given  entirely  on  their  own  account.  The  next  story 
on  our  list  was  a life  of  gracious  Queen  Margaret,  the 
saint  of  Scotland,  whose  shipwreck  on  its  shores  was 
a very  sunrise  of  love  and  faith  and  gentle  rule  for  the 
rough  country  and  its  rougher  Court.  Where,  in  these 
stories,  the  action  turns  on  faith,  we  give  the  religious 
element  its  full  value ; and  the  audience  never  takes 
offence.  Hearts  are  alike  in  Europe  and  Jaj)an,”  one 
of  them  said  to  me ; English  ladies  are  very  brave 
and  true  to  their  duties  — that  is  what  we  admire.” 
You  could  teach  us  more  than  we  could  teach  you 
on  that  point,”  I sighed,  thinking  what  Japanese  women 
would  make  of  our  just  laws,  our  honourable  equal  mar- 
riage rights  (equal  in  all  except  evil,  where  our  prosaic 
old  legislators  must  still  argue  on  the  ground  that 
woman  is  a naturally  pure  and  elevated  creature,  and 
shall  never  enjoy  the  indulgence  necessarily  extended 
to  her  fallen  companion !)  — of  what  my  little  friends 
here  would  be,  surrounded  by  the  chivalrous  institutions 
of  the  West;  and  I was  also  thinking  of  what  we 
Western  women  could  make  of  our  world,  had  we  the 


196 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


heroic  humility,  the  faithfulness  to  duty,  the  divine 
unselfishness  of  our  Eastern  sisters. 

You  will  say  that  the  exaggeration  of  a virtue  is 
revenged  in  Nature’s  exacting  balances  by  the  forina- 

I must  grant  that,  and 
unnatural  heroic  unself- 
ishness does  often  encour- 
age a distorted  selfisliness 
in  base  natures  quick  to 
seize  their  own  advantage 
from  another’s  generos- 
ity ; and  Japanese  hus- 
bands, especially  those  of 
tlie  upper  classes,  have 
fallen  into  this  sin,  and 
do  fall  into  it  every  day. 
A man  who  for  his  father 
and  mother  will  support 
every  privation,  make 
every  sacrifice,  is  cold 
and  indifferent,  j)erhaps, 
to  the  blameless  woman  at  his  side.  She  is  too  much 
a part  of  himself  for  him  not  to  be  ashamed  to  lavish 
outward  testimonies  of  regard  upon  her.  She  is  the 
other  self  of  the  inner  life,  which,  for  all  their  appar- 
ent disregard  of  privacy,  is  so  truly  the  inner  life 
that  a Japanese  never  even  speaks  of  his  wife  unless 
absolutely  obliged  to  do  so.  As  far  as  European  life 
has  touched  them,  the  Japanese  are  willing  to  conform 
to  our  usao:es  as  reg;ards  the  treatment  of  women  in 

O O 


tion  — somewhere  — of  a fault. 


A JAPANESE  LADY 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


197 


public.  The  wife  of  an  official  accompanies  him  to  pay 
me  a visit.  Since  the  husband  is  in  office,  the  wife 
may  only  appear  in  European  costume,  and  she  passes 
before  him  according  to  European  traditions.  Perhaps 
the  next  time  they  call  he  has  resigned  his  portfolio  ; 
then  Madame  is  in  her  own  pretty  dress,  and  Monsieur 
enters  first  in  his  own  pretty  way ! 

The  truth  is  that  marriage  is  not,  and  never  can  be 
here,  the  supreme  relation  of  life,  as  it  is  in  Europe. 
Love,  in  our  sense  of  the  word,  has  nothing  to  do  with 
the  matter ; and  the  experience  of  this  great  passion, 
which  holds  such  a paramount  place  in  Western  lives, 
is  here  an  exceptional  thing,  a destiny,  generally  con- 
demned to  be  a sorrowful  one,  and  eliciting  pity,  and 
something  of  the  praise  we  accord  to  martyrdom,  when, 
as  constantly  happens,  the  poor  lovers,  seeing  their 
union  impossible  in  this  world,  commit  a double  suicide, 
and  travel  to  the  Meido  together,  sure  of  reunion  in 
the  shadowy  realms,  where,  for  us,  marriage  ties  are 
said  to  be  dissolved.  As  marriages  are  always  arranged 
by  parents  or  friends,  the  young  people’s  consent  only 
being  asked  at  the  moment  when  they  have  had  their 
first  interview,  a very  small  amount  of  personal  feeling 
enters  into  the  contract  — at  any  rate  in  its  early  stages. 
An  English  bride  would  blush  angrily  were  it  hinted 
that  she  was  not,  as  the  phrase  runs,  in  love  with  her 
new  husband ; that  rarest  of  passions,  pure  love,  is 
supposed  to  preside  even  at  the  most  fashionable 
weddings.  Not  so  in  Japan.  The  young  girl  here 
would  reply  that  such  passion  is  for  the  women  whom 


198 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


she  need  never  meet ; the  very  name  of  it  is  unknown 
to  her,  unless  she  has  seen  it  illustrated  in  a play  at 
the  theatre ; who  would  think  of  mentioning  such  a low 
feeling,  where  the  solemn  duty  of  wife  to  husband, 
and  husband’s  father  and  mother,  is  concerned  ? Her 
marriage  is  the  passing  from  childhood’s  happy  careless 
life  to  the  responsibilities  of  reason.  Body  and  soul, 
mind  and  spirit,  must  all  tend  to  one  thing  — the  giving 
entire  satisfaction  to  the  new  master  and  his  family. 

This  seems  very  dreary  and  cold  to  us ; and  the 
best  European  woman,  educated  in  the  full  conscious- 
ness of  her  own  value,  would  feel  that  she  lost  her 
integrity  by  entering  such  bondage.  That  it  is  done 
by  hundreds  of  girls  every  year  without  any  thought 
of  love  or  duty  either,  but  simply  for  the  sake  of  hav- 
ing a luxurious  home  and  plenty  of  fun,  does  not  touch 
the  case  at  all.  Our  typical  high-minded  English  maiden 
despises  these  weaker  sisters,  is  ashamed  for  them  as  for 
some  blot  on  womanhood  itself.  The  best  of  her  gods 
is  still  naughty  Cupid  ; and  if  he  is  to  be  shut  out  of 
her  life,  she  would  rather  give  up  the  struggle  at  once. 

And  yet  all  English  history  can  show  no  record  of 
higher,  stronger  love  than  the  Japanese  wife  has  again 
and  again  laid  at  her  lord’s  feet.  It  would  seem  as  if 
that  rare  passion  of  which  I spoke  just  now  may,  in 
fact,  be  born  in  what  we  call  bondage;  may  grow  great 
in  its  nameless  glory  in  these  quiet  lives ; and  when 
the  time  comes,  may  claim  life,  and  everything  which 
is  dearer  than  life,  with  the  certainty  that  all  will  be 
given  entire.  You  exclaim,  as  you  hear  of  some  ainaz- 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


199 


ing  piece  of  heroism,  How  the  woman  must  have 
loved  the  man  ! ” And  yonr  friend,  yonr  little  Japa- 
nese friend,  looks  up  into  your  face  with  her  childlike 
smile  and  some  surprise  in  her  dark  eyes  : Oh  no,  it 

was  her  duty ; he  was  her  husband.” 

A little  while  ago,  in  the  coldest  time  of  the  winter, 
the  constable  on  duty  after  dark  in  one  of  the  great 
cemeteries  heard  the  sound  of  bitter  weeping  for  two 
or  three  nights,  and  in  the  darkness  could  not  discover 
where  it  came  from.  At  last  he  found  a newly  made 
grave  — tlie  grave  of  a young  man.  Incense-sticks  were 
burning  beside  it,  and  on  the  earth,  her  face  turned 
downwards  to  the  buried  face  beneath,  a young  woman 
lay  weeping.  The  policeman  roused  her,  and  asked 
who  she  w^as.  He  was  my  husband ; we  had  been 
married  but  a few  months;  they  buried  him  here.  Do 
not  send  me  away,”  she  prayed  between  her  sobs. 
Weep  in  peace.  O’ Kami  San,”  said  the  constable ; 
was  he  not  thy  husband  ? It  is  thy  right  to  be  here.” 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  common  amusement  called 
falling  in  love  ” has  absolutely  nothing  to  do  with  the 
affectionate  and  careful  fulfilment  of  the  duties  of  mar- 
ried life,  and  that  the  crown  of  an  all-absorbing  wor- 
ship of  one  human  being  for  another  may  be,  and  often 
is,  granted  without  that  passing  preliminary  ailment 
having  been  contracted  at  all. 

Nor  does  what  is  mistakenly  called  the  plurality 
of  wives  ” seem  to  interfere  materially  with  the  true 
wife’s  happiness,  or  her  regard  for  her  husband. 
Steeped  as  we  are  in  the  laws  and  prejudices  of  the 


200 


LETTERS  ER0:M  JAPAN 


West,  it  is  not  easy  for  us  to  judge  of  these  questions; 
but  since  my  sympathies  naturally  go  with  the  woman, 
the  wife-woman,  who  alone  can  carry  the  noble  name, 
alone  takes  the  responsibility  of  all  the  children’s  edu- 
cation, no  matter  who  their  mothers  may  be,  we  shall 
at  any  rate  apprehend  one  aspect  of  the  truth  if  we 
can  grasp  her  point  of  view  — a point  of  view  which 
in  ordinary  circumstances  would  not  have  the  defect 
of  over-leniency  at  any  rate. 

In  the  first  place,  there  is  but  one  wife  ]3roperly 
speaking,  and  it  has  rarely,  if  ever,  been  heard  of  that 
any  attempt  was  made  to  intrude  any  other  woman 
into  her  place.  Her  dignities  as  responsible  head  of 
the  household,  as  wife  and  mother,  as  ruler  of  the 
home-w^orld  and  dispenser  of  its  hospitalities  — these 
could  never  be  taken  from  her ; nor  would  they  ever 
be  given  to  a concubine,  if  the  lady  of  the  house  were 
to  die.  Into  her  hands  is  given  her  husband’s  income, 
great  or  small ; she  apportions  it  as  the  best  interests 
of  the  family  require ; and  the  great  ladies  show  a 
profound  power  of  organisation,  making  proj^erty  yield 
its  highest  value,  controlling  all  expenditure  with  a 
good  sense  and  economy  seldom  shown  by  European 
women,  unless  they  have  had  very  special  training  in 
the  management  of  great  affairs.^ 

Where  the  property  is  very  large,  the  lady  emploj's 
a steward  to  collect  the  rents  and  see  to  the  more  out- 

1 This  part  of  her  duties  has  only  been  laid  upon  the  Japanese  lady  in 
recent  times.  Formerly  she  was  supposed  to  know  very  little  of  the  value 
of  money. 


LETTERS  from;  JAPAN 


201 


side  matters;  but  she  never  drops  the  reins,  and  it  is 
to  her,  and  not  to  the  master,  that  all  claims  or  com- 
plaints are  made.  The  steward  is  always  called  her 
steward,  and  may  never  come  into  contact  with  the 
master  at  all.  This  all  entails  very  hard  and  constant 
work,  and  cpiite  precludes  the  possibility  of  spending 
a very  idle  life,  as  rich  men’s  wives  are  popularly  sup- 
posed to  do.  Her  other  task,  twin  to  this,  is  the  entire 
management  of  the  children’s  education  while  they  are 
still  young,  and  her  responsibility  for  their  health  and 
morals. 

Motherhood  is  what  may  truly  be  called  the  supreme 
relation  of  life  for  the  Japanese  woman.  It  crowns 
her  with  honour  and  glory ; and  although  her  chil- 
dren, if  they  be  boys,  are  considered  superior  beings 
to  the  mother  who  bore  them,  yet  she  shines  with 
every  glory  or  distinction  they  achieve ; every  success 
of  theirs  is  a jewel  in  her  crown.  As  in  the  Bible,  so 
here,  the  names  of  great  men’s  mothers  are  handed 
down  with  those  of  their  sons ; and  the  nation  says, 
for  instance,  of  the  Empress  Jingo  Kogo  in  her  brill- 
iant conquest  of  Corea,  No  wonder  that  she  did 
valiantly!  Was  she  not  carrying  her  great  son  Ojin  ^ 
in  her  bosom  at  that  time,  to  inspire  her  with  wisdom 
and  courage  ? Like  son,  like  mother  ! ” 

It  seems  like  a compensation  to  Japanese  women 
for  their  judicial  inferiority  to  men  that  the  ruling 
passion  of  a woman’s  heart,  love  for  children,  is  recog- 
nised as  a national  virtue ; that  the  reverence  for  child- 

1 Ojin  was  after  his  death  deified  as  Hachinian,  the  god  of  war. 


202 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


hood  has  developed  a system  of  kindness  and  care  and 
protection  of  childhood  such  as  would  be  the  dream, 
the  unrealisable  dream,  of  many  a broken-hearted 
mother  in  England,  powerless  to  protect  her  children 
from  the  drunken  cruelty  of  the  brute  who  is  their 
father,  or,  in  a superior  class,  from  the  more  refined 
torture  inflicted  by  schoolmasters  and  other  bullies. 
There  is  no  baby  torture  here,  no  beating,  no  starvation, 
none  of  the  indescribable  horrors  exposed  and  punished 
in  some  degree  by  our  only  too  necessary  Society  for 
the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children.  From  one  end 
of  Japan  to  the  other,  a child  is  treated  as  a sacred 
thing,  be  it  one’s  own  or  a stranger’s.  Each  little  one 
carries  its  name  and  address  on  a ticket  round  its  neck ; 
but  should  it,  indeed,  stray  from  home,  food  and  shelter 
and  kindness  would  meet  it  everywhere.  Do  not  shud- 
der— a man  will  kill  his  child  outright,  scientifically, 
painlessly,  if  he  sees  that  there  is  nothing  but  want  and 
misery  before  it ; but  while  he  lives  the  child  will  not 
suffer. 

A terrible  case  came  under  my  own  notice  last  year, 
when  something  very  like  famine  desolated  the  land. 
The  rice-crop  failed,  and  the  want  was  terrible.  Relief 
camps  were  opened,  soup  and  bread  distributed  from 
various  centres  in  the  city,  one  of  the  most  efficient 
managed  by  Archdeacon  S , the  (Protestant)  Lega- 

tion Chaplain  (he  and  his  wife  people  of  such  merciful 
goodness  that  everybody  in  trouble  flies  to  their  house, 
and  is  sure  to  find  refuge  and  comfort  there.  Their 
hearts  are  of  pure  gold,  and  their  house  must  be  built 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


203 


of  india-rubber  — I wish  one  could  say  the  same  of 
their  income  !).  But  it  was  impossible  to  reach  every- 
body, and  starvation  ploughed  the  poorer  quarters  of 
the  city.  At  the  worst  moment  a coolie  came  to  the 
gate  of  our  Convent  in  Tsukiji,  leading  two  little  girls. 
All  three  were  frightfully  emaciated.  The  poor  father 
entreated  the  nuns  to  take  the  children,  and  bring  them 
up  among  their  orphans.  He  said  he  could  no  longer 
earn  a livelihood  for  them ; their  mother  was  dead ; he 
had  nothing  left  in  the  world.  Alas ! he  was  not  the 
first  who  had  come  on  the  same  errand.  During  the 
few  weeks  before,  one  child  after  another  had  been 
brought  to  the  good  nuns,  or  left  helpless  at  their 
gates,  the  parents  certain  that  it  would  be  cared  for 
by  them.  Every  corner '’was  filled  with  sick  and  hun- 
gry people ; the  nuns  had  given  up  their  one  sitting- 
room,  and  were  living  in  terror  of  the  supplies  giving 
out,  for  many  a time  the  Superior  has  gone  to  bed  not 
knowing  where  the  money  for  the  next  day’s  market- 
ing was  to  come  from — and  this  with  over  three  hun- 
dred mouths  to  feed ! It  is  God’s  family,”  she  has 
often  said  to  me ; so  it  is  God’s  affair,  and  the  money 
will  surely  come,  or  the  food.  He  does  not  intend  that 
we  shall  make  debts ! ” But  on  this  day  the  Sister 
was  frightened.  It  did  not  seem  right  to  crowd  the 
children’s  dormitories  any  further,  and  people  were 
sleeping  on  the  floor  in  the  passages  already.  She  gave 
the  poor  man  food,  and  a tiny  sum,  all  she  could  possi- 
bly spare,  in  money.  Leave  me  your  address,”  she 
said ; and  the  moment  I have  room  I will  send  for 


204 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


the  poor  little  girls.  Have  courage ; I will  not  keep 
them  long  waiting.”  So  the  man  went,  taking  his  chil- 
dren with,  him  ; and  the  nun,  seeing  the  despair  in  his 
eyes,  was  troubled  all  night  about  it,  and  sent  down 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning  to  tell  him  that  she 
would  risk  it,  he  might  bring  the  little  girls  back.  Both 
children  were  dead.  My  dear  blameless  Sister  Superior 
weeps  whenever  she  remembers  them,  and  that  is  very 
often.  In  that  famine-time  she  saved  many  a child 
from  being  sold  to-a  much  worse  fate  than  death.  The 
parents  were  mad  with  trouble ; the  Yoshiwara  man 
offered  money,  would  never  be  unkind  to  the  girls ; 
prostitution  was  a misfortune  certainly,  but  no  disgrace, 
no  crime ; why  not  let  them  go  ? ^ Then  the  poor  little 
girls,  in  their  terror  of  the  unknown,  would  cry  out. 
My  cousin  or  my  friend  is  with  the  Tsukiji  Yirjen 
Sama ; take  me  to  them,  Ottottsan ! ” And  that  was 
one  reason  why  the  Convent  was  so  terribly  full  just 
at  that  time. 

I must  say  a few  words  more  about  the  woman’s 
life  here  before  leaving  these  grave  subjects  for  gayer 
ones.  Perhaps  it  is  really  a hardship  that  a young 
and  charming  woman  should  have  to  call  herself  the 

1 Such  traffic  is  forbidden  by  law,  but  is  unfortunately  still  carried  on 
in  secret.  It  is  quite  distinct  from  the  apprenticing  of  girls  to  masters  who 
train  them  as  geisha  (or  dancing-girls).  These  are  highly  educated  accord- 
ing to  Japanese  ideas,  and  are  not  necessarily  disreputable.  Their  training 
is  extremely  severe,  and  every  gift  of  mind  and  body  is  developed  to  the 
highest  point.  IMany  have  married  men  in  prominent  positions,  and  those 
whom  I have  known,  although  not  warmly  welcomed  by  Japanese  ladies, 
have  shown  great  sense  and  dignity  in  the  conduct  of  social  and  domestic 
affairs. 


I 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


205 


mother  of  several 
big  girls  and  boys 
who  could  not  by 
any  chance  be  her 
own  children.  I 
am  always  inclined 
to  smile  when  such 
a woman  gravely 
speaks  of  my 
daughter,”  nod- 
ding to  a girl 
nearly  as  old  as 
herself,  and  per- 
haps without  a 
trace  of  her  own 
delicate  features 
and  innate  high 
breeding;  but  my 
impression  is  that 
my  friend  herself 
sees  nothing  de- 
rogatory in  it,  al- 
though she  may 
be  very  well  edu- 
cated and  a Chris- 
tian as  well.  The 
mekakey  or  concu- 
bine, is  in  her  own 
way  a perfectly  respectable  woman,  probably  taken  from 
the  class  of  small  shopkeepers,  who  do  not  consider  her 


CO^IING  FROM  THE  BATH 


206 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


accepting  such  a position  as  any  disgrace.  The  woman 
herself  very  likely  acts  as  a servant  in  the  house ; always 
kindly  treated  and  provided  for  to  the  end  of  her  life, 
she  yet  has  no  part  in  her  children,  and  must  only  tend 
and  love  them  as  an  upper  nurse  might  do.  This  is 
the  real  hardship  of  her  lot ; but  in  the  simplicity  of  the 
Japanese  points  of  view  there  are  many  things  which 
soften  it  for  her.  Although  never  for  a moment  Tisurp- 
ing  the  mistress’s  place,  she  is  treated  with  a good  deal 
of  consideration  by  the  whole  family,  on  the  principle 
of  her  being  a favourite  with  the  great  lord  and  mas- 
ter, round  whom  they  all  revolve  in  different  circles 
indeed,  but  all  with  equal  dependence  on  the  domestic 
sun.  If  he  be  a very  rich  man,  he  will  probably  give 
the  mekake  a home  to  herself  in  another  part  of  the 

grounds ; but  there  will  be  no  enmity  between  her 

and  the  great  lady,  the  true  wife,  who  mothers  all 

the  children.  A young  married  woman  came  to  see 

a friend  of  mine,  arriving  rather  late  for  an  appoint- 
ment. “ You  look  tired,”  my  friend  remarked  to  the 
visitor.  I am  very  tired,”  she  replied ; we  have 

had  a dear  new  baby  born  in  the  house.  I was  up 
all  night  with  the  mother.  We  thought  she  would 
die,  poor  thing;  but  I am  glad  to  say  she  is  all  right 
now!”  This  lady  was  a Christian  too;  but  — the 
King  can  do  no  wrong  in  Japan. 

One  very  good  result  comes  from  the  frank  way 
in  which  these  matters  are  treated.  There  are  no 

illegitimate  children,  as  we  understand  the  term,  be- 
cause every  child  takes  its  father’s  name,  and  he  is 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


207 


forced  to  provide  for  its  maintenance.  Even  in  former 
times  the  son  of  the  true  wife  was  looked  upon  as  a 
man’s  natural  heir ; but  failing  him,  the  inheritance 
passed  to  his  brother,  whoever  the  latter’s  mother 
might  have  been.  Failing  a half-brother,  it  passed  to 
a daugliter  of  the  true  wife,  and  failing  such,  to  any 
other  daughter  whom  the  man  might  have  had.  Such 
was  the  rule  j but  where  each  man  was  absolute  mas- 
ter in  his  own  house,  distinctions  of  favouritism  were 
often  arbitrarily  exercised.  A man  could,  in  fact,  choose 
which  son  should  inherit  his  honours  and  estates,  or 
he  could  put  all  his  own  children  aside,  and  install  a 
stranger  as  head  of  the  family.  Nothing  mattered 
except  that  my  lord’s  whims  should  be  carried  out. 
But  now  things  are  different.  A man  is  responsible 
for  all  his  children,  whoever  their  mother  may  have 
been ; but  his  title  can  only  be  inherited  by  the  eldest 
living  son  of  his  true  wife,  and,  failing  such,  must  go 
to  the  nearest  collateral  legitimate  heir.  The  next 
heir  to  the  throne  after  Prince  Ham  must  be  the 
son  of  his  Empress,  or,  failing  him,  the  son  of*  the 
true  wife  of  the  Prince  nearest  to  the  throne.  This 
new  regulation  is  a death-blow  to  the  old  system  of 
adoption ; and,  while  rendering  far  higher  honour  to 
the  true  wife  than  she  had  heretofore  enjoyed,  inflicts 
disabilities  on  the  children  of  concubines,  which  will 
gradually  bring  discredit  on  the  whole  system.  At 
least,  so  it  strikes  me.  It  seems  to  be  the  thin  end 
of  the  wedge  of  external  respectability  according  to 
Western  ideas,  applied  to  the  spot  where  its  touch  will 


208 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


be  most  keenly  felt  — the  honour  of  the  family.  I 
doubt  if  the  new  regulation  will  add  to  the  happiness 
of  the  Japanese  home,  which  for  decorum  and  harmony 
so  far  compares  more  than  favourably  with  the  ordinary 
European  one ; and  I see  in  it  a danger  to  the  perma- 
nency and  strength  of  the  tie  between  father  and  child. 

I hope  that  my  plain  speaking  will  not  give  the 
false  impression  that  I undervalue  the  splendid  privi- 
leges which  the  Church  bestowed  on  Christian  men 
and  women  when  she  instituted  Christian  marriage. 
There  is  but  one  state  higher,  the  angelic  life  led  in 
religion;  and  certainly  we  Western  women  owe  all  our 
freedom  and  honour  to  the  Catholic  Church,  which 
told  the  slaves  that  the  King  of  .Heaven  had  died  for 
them,  which  took  the  slave-woman  and  called  her  wife, 
which  to-day  in  the  marriage  service  says  to  the  man. 
Remember,  I give  thee  a companion,  and  not  a slave.” 

But  where  the  man  is  no  more  a Christian  than 
the  ordinary  society  man  in  London ; where  he  has 
taken  no  vows,  however  flippantly,  binding  him  to  one 
woman ; where  every  day  humanity  does  not  take  the 
sacred  name  of  love  in  vain,  — there  I think  that 
decency,  order,  and  the  family  ties  are  less  outraged 
by  the  existence  of  the  quiet  faithful  concubine  and 
her  children  than  by  the  revolting  arrangements  re- 
sorted to  in  Europe,  where  men,  who  as  the  saying 
goes  are  not  straight  to  their  wives,”  are  brought 
without  shame  or  regret  into  the  society  of  women 
from  whom  the  poor  Japanese  mekake  would  shrink 
with  horror. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


209 


Tlie  counterpart  of  that  class  exists  here.  Com- 
pared to  the  poor  creatures  who  compose  it  in  Europe, 
the  Japanese  women  are  models  of  refinement  and  dis- 
interestedness. But  society  shows  stern  disapproval  of 
the  men  who  frequent  their  company;  a wife  may  pro- 
test against  such  lapses  without  any  infringement  of 
the  respect  she  owes  her  lord,  and  it  would  be  con- 
sidered her  duty  to  do  so. 

As  a last  word,  I should  say  that  there  are  many 
Japanese  families  of  the  upper  class  where  it  has  been 
for  generations  the  custom  to  make  the  wife  supreme 
in  every  way,  and  to  admit  no  mekake  into  the  family. 
Concubinage  is  an  expensive  luxury  confined  to  the 
upper  classes,  and  is  greatly  on  the  wane  even  among 
them ; among  the  poor  it  is  unknown ; and  divorce, 
though  still  fatally  easy,  is  not  often  resorted  to. 

VOL.  II  P 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


THE  DEATH  OF  PRINCE  SANJO.  — A STATE  FUNERAL.  — A 
BRAVE  DAUGHTER. — OGITA’s  FAREWELL. — THE  SHIBA 
TEMPLES.  — A FEAST  OF  BEAUTY 

March,  1891. 

A PROFOUND  gloom  lias  been  cast  over  the  capital 
by  the  death  of  Prince  Sanjo;  he  was  such  a 
familiar  figure  at  all  the  Court  functions,  he  and  I 
had  sat  through  so  many  dinners,  walked  in  so  many 
processions  side  by  side,  that  I had  come  to  look  upon 
him  as  an  old  friend ; he  was  always  kind  and  cheery, 
and  the  wife  and  daughter  had  been  among  those 
whom  I saw  most  constantly.  They  are  in  terrible 
grief ; and  I shall  not  see  them  for  many  months,  as 
a long  period  of  seclusion  will  separate  them  from  the 
world.  They  were  all  with  us  on  Christmas  Day,  and 
the  poor  Prince  took  influenza  almost  immediately  after- 
wards. His  lungs  were  never  very  strong,  and  he  could 
not  weather  the  attack  of  inflammation  which  set  in. 
If  companionship  is  any  comfort  in  grief,  his  family 
ought  to  be  comforted;  for  the  whole  country  mourned 
for  the  Emperor’s  friend  and  councillor,  the  quiet,  duty- 
loving  statesman,  who  has  done  so  much  for  progress, 
justice,  and  peace. 


210 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


211 


If  there  were  a Libro  d’Oro  in  Japan,  the  name  of 
Prince  Sanetome  Sanjo  would  be  among  the  very  first 
in  its  pages.  A Kuge  (or  descendant  of  an  Imperial 
Prince),  his  pedigree  goes  back  to  Kamatari  (a.d.  626), 
the  founder  of  fourteen  out  of  the  sixteen  Kuge  fami- 
lies existing  to-day.^  Prince  Sanjo  was  always  devoted 
to  the  Imperial  cause,  and  in  very  early  youth  flung 
himself,  his  influence,  and  his  fortune  into  the  struggle 
to  put  down  the  usurpations  of  the  Shogun  and  restore 
the  sovereign  to  the  reality  of  power.  I have  described 
this  struggle  in  an  earlier  letter.  Prince  Sanjo  was 
but  a boy  when  it  began ; at  its  close,  after  fourteen 
years  of  constant  warfare,  he  was  only  thirty  years 
old,  and  had  proved  his  devotion  and  ability  so  com- 
pletely that  he  was  at  once  raised  to  high  rank  in  the 
Government,  and  was  ever  after  looked  upon  by  the 
Emperor  as  the  most  trustworthy  of  his  councillors. 
In  1871  (he  was  then  thirty-four)  he  was  given  the 
post  of  Chancellor  of  the  Empire,  the  highest  in  the 
Administration.  He  held  it  for  fourteen  years,  by  far 
the  most  difficult  years  in  Japan’s  stormy  history — - 
years  during  which  all  the  changes  that  we  admire 
to-day  were  introduced  and  consolidated  without  the 
slightest  shock  to  the  national  strength  or  integrity. 
The  country  came  through  the  ordeal,  accompanied 
as  it  was  by  civil  war,  rebellion,  intrigues  without 

^ If  pedigrees  may  be  trusted,  there  is  no  body  of  peers  in  Europe  who 
can  out-class  the  present  peerage  of  Japan.  It  numbers  four  hundred  and 
seventy-three  members  of  the  old  nobility,  and,  of  these,  four  hundred  are 
the  direct  descendants  of  Emperors,  and  possess  written  records  going 
back  for  thirteen  or  fourteen  centuries. 


212 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


and  within,  with  perfect  safety ; with  the  Emperor 
ftrmly  seated  on  his  throne,  never  to  be  touched  again 
by  the  ambitions  and  intrigues  of  the  Shoguns ; with 
enemies  transformed  into  loyal  servants,  friends  re- 
warded for  faithful  service,  the  empire  ready  to  work 
like  one  man  at  the  task  of  setting  its  army  and 
navy,  its  legislation,  its  organisation  on  the  footing 
which  befits  a great  power.  It  is,  I fancy,  rare  to 
hear  of  a Prime  Minister  holding  uninterrupted  office 
for  fourteen  years;  and  it  is  in  our  experience  unpar- 
alleled that  any  nation  should  so  have  transformed  itself 
in  that  period  of  time.  Prince  Sanjo  had  no  personal 
ambition,  and  several  times  begged  for  permission  to 
retire  from  public  affairs,  which  were  then  advancing 
safely  and  smoothly.  This  permission  was  at  last  un- 
willingly granted,  in  1885;  he  was  made  Keeper  of  the 
Privy  Seal,  and  did  not  again  enter  public  life  till  the  - 
end  of  1889,  when  he  reluctantly  took  the  'leadership 
of  the  Cabinet  at  the  Emperor’s  command  after  the 
attempted  assassination  of  Count  Okuma.  Every  one 
recognised  in  him  a man  of  intense  conscientiousness, 
wisdom,  and  intrepid  courage,  whose  every  good  quality 
acquired  a double  value  through  his  complete  integrity 
and  disinterestedness. 

There  are  distinctions  in  Japan  which  are  only  granted 
to  d}dng  greatness.  When  we  heard  that  the  Emperor 
was  about  to  visit  his  faithful  servant,  we  knew  that 
but  one  visitor  would  succeed  him  in  the  quiet  house  ; 
the  sovereign  was  the  herald  of  death,  and  he  conferred 
the  honours  which  Sanetome  Sanjo  must  take  with 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


213 


him  to  the  Meido,  the  shadow  realm,  for  he  could  not 
enjoy  them  here.  As  soon  as  his  desperate  condition 
became  known,  the  Emperor  hastened  to  his  house ; 
and  while  the  Prince  was  still  conscious,  told  him  that 
he  had  come  to  thank  him  for  his  life-long  devotion. 


PRINCE  SAN.TO 


and  to  bestow  on  him  the  highest  rank  that  it  is  pos- 
sible for  a subject  to  hold.  The  people  who  accom- 
panied the  Emperor  tell  us  that  all  his  assumed  calm 
fell  away  from  him  when  he  looked  on  his  friend’s 
face,  and  that  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that 
he  controlled  his  emotion  as  he  spoke  words  which 


214 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


must  have  been  very  sweet  even  to  dying  ears.  This 
is  what  the  sovereign  said: 

In  the  early  years  of  my  reign,  while  I was  still 
but  a youth,  you  were  my  greatest  help.  You,  not 
shrinking  from  the  gravest  responsibility,  lent  me 
assistance  so  constant,  so  ready,  and  so  true,  that 
you  were  to  me  as  a teacher  and  a father.  Never  did 
you  fail  in  the  discharge  of  your  great  duties.  All  my 
subjects  should  look  up  to  you  as  a model.  In  recog- 
nition of  your  great  services  and  faithfulness  I confer 
upon  you  the  First  Class  of  the  First  Rank.” 

This  last,  Sho-ichi-i,  is  a distinction  which  has  not 
been  granted  to  any  subject  for  over  eleven  hundred 
years,  when  it  was  borne  by  one  of  Prince  Sanjo’s 
ancestors,  who  died  in  738.  They  say  that  the  poor 
Prince  made  violent  attempts  to  rise  and  salute  the 
Emperor  properly.  A few  hours  after  the  visit  he 
passed  away,  and  the  world  is  much  the  poorer  by  the 
loss  of  a good  man. 

The  Imperial  family  practice  the  pure  Shinto  ” 
form  of  religion,  and  Prince  Sanjo’s  State  funeral  was 
arranged  altogether  by  Shinto  rules.  These  forbid 
pomp,  but  enjoin  the  use  of  white  robes,  white  woods, 
quantities  of  flowers,  everything  simple  and  cheering 
and  pure.  I have  heard  the  reproach  of  heartlessness 
again  and  again  made  to  the  Japanese,  on  account  of 
the  calm  and  cheerful  countenances  with  which  they 
accompany  their  dead  to  the  grave.  But  their  long 
and  tender  remembrance  of  the  dead  surely  exonerates 
them  from  the  accusation.  Their  belief  is  that  those 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


215 


who  die  beloved,  and  for  whom  remembrance  is  con- 
stantly made,  do  not  suffer  in  the  shadowy  peace  of 
Meido,  the  home  of  departed  spirits,  which  is  not  a 
prison,  and  from  which  they  constantly  come  to  visit 
the  living,  to  protect  and  comfort  the  bereaved.  Is  it 
possible  that  this  humble  impersonal  faith  can  sustain 
the  survivors  in  the  dreadful  emptiness  of  the  stricken 
home  ? I think  it  helps  them  so  greatly,  because  it  is 
a part  of  eternal  truth  — just  that  portion  of  it  which 
they  are  fitted  to  apprehend  now.  The  great  Teacher 
does  not  insist  upon  making  all  His  children  learn  the 
same  lesson  the  same  day.  ( 

Our  friend’s  funeral  was  very  beautiful  and  very 
simple,  its  greatest  pomp  being  that  which  we  should 
all  love  to  share  in  — the  true  sorrow  of  grateful  hearts. 
The  white-robed  priests  and  mourners,  the  white  lotus 
flowers  with  their  silver  leaves,  the  exquisite  white-wood 
coffin  with  its  snowy  panoply  — all  seemed  to  fit  the 
passing  of  his  pure  spirit  to  its  rest.  But  the  whole 
country  mourned  his  loss,  and  there  never  has  been 
seen  such  a concourse  of  people  in  Tokyo  as  that  which 
lined  the  route  of  the  procession.  The  procession  itself 
was  two  miles  long,  and  passed  over  some  six  miles 
of  distance,  from  the  solemn  house  among  the  fir  trees 
where  he  died,  to  the  Gokakuji  Temple,  where  the 
funeral  rites  were  to  take  place.  It  is  a beautiful 
place,  with  great  gardens  full  of  flowers,  in  which 
wander  young  bonzes  from  a college  kept  here  for 
them.  The  Temple  is  the  mortuary  chapel,  as  it  were, 
of  the  Imperial  Cemetery,  a part  of  the  grounds 


216 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAK 


having  been  set  aside  for 
that  purpose,  now  that 
Emperors  live  and  die  in 
Tokyo.  The  place  is  never 
opened  to  the  public  ex- 
cept when  some  silent 
Prince  or  Princess  comes 
knocking  at  the  gate. 

O O 

All  along  the  line  of 
march  really  sorrowing 
crowds  watched  the  train 
go  by,  amid  a hush  of  in- 
tense respect.  The  troops 
who  accompanied  it  re- 
mained outside  the  gates, 
and  the  rest  passed  in,  up 
long  flights  of  steps  which 
led  to  the  sanctuary  where 
the  service  was  to  take 
place.  All  those  invited 
to  the  funeral  had  already 
assembled  here.  Tlie  her- 
alds of  the  train  were 
a number  of  white-robed 
men,  caiT3dng  quantities 
of  green  branches  of  the 
sakaki  {Chyera  Jayjonica), 

THE  SACRED  LOTUS  sacred  to  the  dead.  Then 

came  the  offerings,  which  would  later  be  j^i^ced  before 
the  coffin ; these  were  enclosed  in  a case,  white  and 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


217 


plain  like  all  the  rest.  A great  troop  of  Shinto  priests 
followed,  all  white-robed  except  the  high-priest,  who 
Avore  purple.  Then,  to  the  sounds  of  the  weirdly  sad 
Shinto  music,  came  a great  white  banner,  on  which 
Avere  inscribed  all  the  Prince’s  titles  and  honours ; and 
after  that  quantities  of  people  carrying  the  sakaki 
sprigs,  the  placing  of  Avhich  forms  a part  of  the  funeral 
ceremony,  and  others  carrying  silver  halberds  and  enor- 
mous trophies  of  floAvers  such  as  people  here  send  to 
a funeral  instead  of  our  Avreaths  and  crosses.  Eight 
separate  decorations,  the  most  honourable  in  the  Em- 
peror’s gift,  had  been  bestoAved  on  the  Prince  at 
different  times  ; and  these  Avere  carried  on  cushions  by 
eight  bearers,  all  dressed  in  Avhite ; and  then  came  a 
goodly  company  in  the  same  costume,  the  chief  ser- 
A^ants  of  the  family.  It  was  their  prAilege  immedi- 
ately to  precede  the  bier,  Avhich  Avas  of  a lovely  shape, 
like  a small  temple,  all  carved  out  of  spotless  Avhite 
Avood,  the  spruce  AAdiich  the  Japanese  call  hi-no-ki.  It 
did  not  look  like  a coffin,  but  like  a closed  litter, 
Avith  beautifully  chased  golden  mountings,  and  fresh 
green  bamboo  blinds  closing  its  little  windoAvs.  The 
roof  rose  at  the  four  corners  in  delicate  ornaments, 
and  tassels  of  pure  Avhite  silk  hung  against  the  blinds. 
Raised  on  a system  of  poles  crossed  and  recrossed,  the 
bier  AA^as  carried  by  fifty  men,  all  dressed  in  white.  ^Ye 
Avere  told  that  it  covered  a double  coffin,  made  also 
of  AAdiite  Avood.  A thrill  of  real  sorroAV  seemed  to  run 
through  the  great  croAvd  as  it  passed,  and  then  all  hearts 
Avent  out  to  the  boy  and  girl  aaJio  folloAved  as  chief 


218 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


mournersj  for  their  mother  was  too  prostrated  by  grief  to 
appear.  The  girl  was  my  little  friend,  Princess  Chiye, 
her  beautiful  face  absolutely  rigid,  and  white  as  the  robe 
which  showed  under  her  black  cloak  and  brown  liakama, 
the  kind  of  divided  skirt  worn  on  all  occasions  of  cere- 
mony. Her  little  feet  were  roughly  sandalled,  and  she 
walked  the  whole  way  from  her  father’s  house  to  her 
father’s  resting-place,  bareheaded,  without  betraying  a 
sign  of  fatigue.  Her  brother,  dressed  in  black  and 
white,  and  wearing  the  same  common  sandals,  walked 
at  her  side  ; and  behind  them  came  four  little  girls,  the 
younger  sisters,  who  wore  no  black,  but  white  crape 
robes  without  a single  ornament,  and  having  their  long 
hair  tied  back  with  white  ribbon  and  hanging  far  below 
their  waists.  They  were  followed  by  a crowd  of  rela- 
tions, and  in  this  order  the  procession  passed  at  last 
in  at  the  Temple  gate,  and  up  the  many  steps,  till  they 
stopped  under  a tent  or  porch  which  had  been  erected 
before  the  door  of  the  Temple.  Here  were  two  pavil- 
ions, in  which  the  family  took  their  seats,  together 
with  the  Imperial  Princes,  the  Ministers,  the  Foreign 
Representatives,  and  the  other  guests. 

The  tent  was  all  draped  in  the  sombre  black  and 
white  stripes  that  I have  so  often  seen  used  for  Court 
functions.  In  the  centre,  just  before  the  steps,  the 
bier  was  placed  on  a stand  prepared  for  it ; the  banners 
and  flower  trophies  were  disposed  on  either  side  of  the 
space  leading  up  to  it ; and  the  Prince’s  Orders  were 
laid  on  little  white-wood  stands  around.  Then  came 
Shinto  chants ; and  the  two  chief  priests  with  their 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


219 


acolytes  prayed  before  the  bier,  and  bent  in  homage 
to  the  dead.  Then  the  chief  priest  took  the  offerings 
of  food,  and  placed  them  on  other  stands  prepared  for 
them ; and  he  read  aloud,  in  a high-chanting  voice,  two 
orations  of  farewell  to  the  dead.  In  these  all  the  good 
and  great  acts  of  the  Prince’s  life  were  recounted ; and 
at  the  end  came  the  phrase,  May  thy  soul  have  eternal 
rest  and  peace  in  heaven,”  so  like  our  ‘^Requiem  eternam 
dona  eis,  Domine,  et  lux  perpetua  luceat  eis,”  that  a 
very  deep  chord  of  sympathy  was  touched  in  those 
who  could  understand  the  words. 

But  the  ceremonial  was  terribly  long  for  the  poor 
children,  who  went  through  it,  as  samurai  and  nobles 
should,  without  a single  change  of  expression  on  their 
young  pale  faces.  How  the  eldest  Princess  bore  it  I 
know  not ; for  she  worshipped  her  father,  and  the  tie 
between  them  was  that  of  the  most  complete  confidence 
and  intimacy.  When  the.  orations  were  over,  ^he  priests 
distributed  sprigs  of  the  sakaki  to  every  one,  beginning 
with  the  young  Prince,  the  Imperial  Princes,  and  the 
envoys  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress.  When  these 
had  reverently  laid  the  branches  before  the  bier,  the 
poor  little  Princess  and  her  four  sisters  slowly  advanced, 
holding  the  sacred  boughs  in  their  hands,  bowed  to 
the  very  ground  in  the  last  act  of  homage  to  their 
beloved  father,  and  laid  the  green  boughs  on  those 
already  lying  before  his  coffin.  This  was  a terrible 
moment,  and  seemed  likely  to  be  too  much  for  the 
eldest  daughter’s  fortitude ; but  she  conquered  it,  laid 
her  offering  on  the  rest  with  a hand  that  trembled  piti- 


220 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


fully,  and  led  her  sisters  back  to  their  place,  uncon- 
quered by  grief. 

Something  like  two  thousand  people  followed  to 
render  this  green  tribute  to  the  Prince’s  memory ; and 
when  that  had  been  done,  most  of  the  guests  returned 
home,  only  a very  few  having  been  invited  to  attend 
the  actual  burial  in  the  cemetery.  The  road  to  the 
grave  was  all  a double  wall  of  flowers,  standing  high  on 
either  side  of  a long  carpeting  of  fine  matting.  Every 
lovely  bloom  that  could  rob  death  of  its  terrors  had 
been  collected  there ; under  the  bright  Eastern  sun- 
shine a beautiful  canopy  of  white  wood  hung  high 
over  the  open  stone  vault.  In  the  gardens  around, 
all  life  was  rising  to  its  spring,  and  stately  trees,  the 
guardians  of  the  place,  seemed  to  have  been  waiting 
long  for  this  honoured  and  welcome  guest.  When 
the  white  coffin  had  at  last  been  placed  in  its  quiet 
home,  amidst  a silence  woven  of  love  and  reverence ; 
when  the  green  boughs  and  the  flowers  and  the  insignia 
of  earthly  glory  had  been  laid  at  the  door,  through  which 
the  honoured  dead  must  pass  alone,  — then  those  who 
had  been  bidden  to  his  farewell  crept  away,  leaving 
the  poor  children  to  say  their  last  good-byes  alone.  And 
in  that  morning  smile  of  nature,  in  that  perfect  peace 
which  seems  to  have  robbed  death  of  its  fear  and 
bereavement  of  its  sting,  I trust  that  the  good-byes 
were  not  despairing  ones. 

These  things  happened  in  the  end  of  February,  and 
this  is  the  beginning  of  March.  Alas  ! the  spring  has 
robbed  me  of  another  friend,  and  one  whose  like  I shall 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


221 


not  find  again.  Ogita,  our  samurai^  guide,  interpreter, 
my  right  hand  in  a thousand  matters  of  life,  has  passed 
away,  unable  to  recover  from  the  effects  of  that  awful 
influenza.  He  had  been  ailing  for  long,  coughing,  and 
looking  very  thin.  We  think  he  hurt  himself  by  giv- 
ing lessons  in  the  exhausting  Japanese  fencing,  which 
Dr.  Baelz,  one  of  the  strongest  men  I know,  and 
trained,  as  all  Germans  are,  to  such  exercises,  told  me 
was  so  terribly  fatiguing  that  the  learning  of  it  nearly 
broke  him  down.  Poor  Ogita  was  a great  swordsman, 
his  family  was  large,  the  Government  pay  none  too 
generous;  so  nothing  was  said  when  it  was  found  that 
he  was  giving  lessons  in  his  spare  time.  After  Christmas 
we  sent  him  down  to  Atami  to  keep  him  out  of  the 
way  of  the  epidemic  ; but  he  took  it  there,  and  came 
home  at  last,  with  death  written  on  his  face.  Do  you 
wonder  that  I tell  you  so  much  about  a mere  servant,  a 
Chancery  writer  ? He  has  been  so  helpful  and  faithful, 
has  carried  out  all  my  whims  with  such  gentle  patience, 
has  piloted  me  through  so  many  journeys,  taught  me 
so  many  quaint  stories,  that  a part  of  my  Japanese  life 
has  died  with  him. 

He  had  a little  house  in  the  grounds,  where  I went 
constantly  in  the  last  days.  The  old  mother,  the  wife, 
the  five  girls  and  boys,  always  received  me  with  an 
air  of  gay  satisfaction,  and  never  let  me  see  them  break 
down  at  all  till  quite  the  end.  In  the  bare  little  house 
on  the  worn  mats  lay  my  poor  friend,  too  weak  to  speak, 
but  with  a light  of  welcome  always  shining  for  me  in 
his  eyes.  He  was  a tall  man,  of  soldierly  bearing,  and 


222 


LETTEES  EKOM  JAPAX 


there  was  something  very  pitiful  in  seeing  him  lying,  so 
long  and  weak,  on  the  floor  of  the  tiny  room,  which 
seemed  so  much  too  small  for  him.  Behind  him,  to 
keep  off  any  draught,  was  a six-leaved  screen  out 
of  my  sitting-room,  with  gay  summer  landscapes  and 
dancing  waterfalls  painted  on  the  panels.  What  com- 
forts could  help  him  he  had ; and  though  the  rooms  were 
small,  at  any  rate  the  house  was  his  home,  and  he  was 
surrounded  by  all  the  love  of  mother  and  wife  and 
children.  The  children  were  greatly  on  his  mind ; but 
when  their  future  was  provided  for  to  his  satisfaction, 
he  was  quite  content  to  die,  and  said  to  me  once  or 
twice,  Okusama  is  very  kind;  I would  get  well  if  I 
could ; but  I can  never  travel  with  her  any  more,  and  I 
am  too  tired  to  live.”  To  the  very  last  his  two  hands 
always  went  up  to  his  brow  when  I entered,  even  after 
he  could  not  speak ; and  I used  only  to  stay  a minute 
or  two  at  a time,  for  fear  of  exhausting  him.  We  had 
had  many  a conversation  about  the  future  life ; but,  alas ! 
he  had  lived  too  long  among  careless  Christians  to  have 
any  special  regard  for  Christianity.  He  had  seen  in 
his  twenty  years  of  Government  service  bad  men  and 
good,  among  the  Christians  as  among  the  sects  of  his 
countrymen  — less  good,  perhaps,  among  the  former  than 
among  the  latter.  There  was  no  ground  for  a conversion 
here,  and  he  went  out  among  the  shadows  a vnliant, 
humble,  upright  soul,  a samurai  and  a gentleman  to  the 
last ; and  I do  not  believe  that  any  true  gentleman  was 
ever  shut  out  of  heaven  yet.  They  left  me  alone  with 
him  for  a while  the  day  after  he  was  dead;  he  lay 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


223 


very  straight  and  stiff,  with  a smile  of  peace  on  his  thin 
face.  His  hands  were  crossed  on  his  breast,  and  his 
long  blue  robes  were  drawn  in  straight  folds,  all  held 
in  place  with  little  packets  of  tea,  which  filled  the 
room  with  a dry  fragrance ; the  coffin  was  lined  with 
these,  and  his  head  rested  on  a pillow  of  the  same. 
Beside  him  on  a stand  lay  his  most  precious  possession, 
his  sword ; and  before  the  weeping  wife  left  me  kneel- 
ing there,  she  touched  my  shoulder,  and  pointed  to  the 
sword,  bowing  her  head  in  reverence,  and  whispering, 

Samurai,  Okusama  ! ” Incense- sticks  were  burning  in 
bronze  vases  at  either  end  of  the  sword,  and  freshly 
gathered  flowers  stood  on  the  floor  near  the  coffin  head. 
Behind  was  still  my  screen,  not  turned  upside  down, 
as  it  should  have  been  in  the  presence  of  the  dead 
(perhaps  because  it  was  mine ) ; and  in  the  little  room, 
bared  of  all  except  that  which  was  left  to  honour  my 
poor  friend,  the  summer  landscapes  and  dancing  water- 
falls spoke  of  hope  and  new  life  and  a world  where  a 
tired  spirit  might  rest  earth’s  wmariness  away. 

So  they  took  our  samurai  home ; and  after  the  first 
bursts  of  grief,  far  less  restrained  among  the  poorer 
women  than  among  the  nobles,  I think  the  old  mother 
and  the  wife  and  the  little  girls  have  found  comfort 
in  visiting  the  quiet  grave  in  Shiba,  where  Ogita  lies. 
All  little  gifts  are  stored  up  to  carry  there  ; O’ I one  San, 
the  baby  girl  of  three,  whom  her  father  worshipped 
devoutly,  saves  up  all  the  pretty  cakes  that  find  their 
way  from  my  tea-table  to  her  little  brown  hands. 

Ottottsan’s ! ” she  says  when  they  are  given  to  her;  and 


224 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


faithful  servant.  May  thy  soul  have  eternal  rest  and 
peace  in  heaven  ! ” 

And  now,  as  I have  spoken  of  Shiba,  I must  tell  you 
something  of  those  Shiba  Temples  which  are  the  pride 
of  Tokyo  — temples  built  mostly  as  tombs  or  temporary 
mortuary  chapels  for  the  Shoguns  of  the  Tokiigawa 
Dynasty.  Its  founder,  lyeyasu,  lies  at  Nikko  (as  does 
his  grandson,  lyemitsu);  but  during  his  lifetime  he  sud- 


a piece  of  paper  has  to  be  found  to  wrap  them  in,  and 
they  are  put  in  the  alcove  in  the  place  of  honour  till 
she  and  her  mother  pay  their  next  visit  to  Shiba; 
and  then  they  are  laid  with  many  a tender  word  on 
Ottottsans  grave,  to  comfort  him  if  he  is  lonely  or 
hungry  in  the  Meido.  Good-bye,  kind  friend  and 


THE  SHIBA  CEMETERY 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


225 


denly  realised  that  he  had  no  especial  temple  of  his  own ; 

and  that/’  said  he,  is  a thing  unheard  of  for  a great 
general  ! I must  immediately  select  a temple,  where 
I can  pray  during  my  life,  and  where  others  will  pray 
for  me  when  I am  dead ! ” The  result  of  these  pangs 
of  conscience  was  the  choice  of  the  great  Temple  of 
Zojoji,  in  what  is  now  called  the  Shiba  Park,  as  the 
one  where  his  iliai  (mortuary  tablet  bearing  his  post- 
humous name  and  titles)  should  be  set  up.  The  Temple 
was  administered  by  priests  of  the  Jodo  sect  of  Bud- 
dhists ; it  was  extremely  rich  and  splendid,  but  was 
burnt,  in  revenge  it  is  said,  when  in  1873  the  Buddhists 
were  banished,  and  the  Temple  given  over  to  pure 

Shinto.”  A smaller  and  poorer  one  was  built,  which 
seems  out  of  place  behind  the  magnificent  triple  gate 
(Sammon)  which  remains  from  the  days  of  its  prede- 
cessor. But  the  mortuary  temples  (not  intended  for 
public  worship)  were  fortunately  not  burnt,  and  contain 
wonders  of  lacquer  and  painting  and  carving.  The 

great  red  gates,  with  their  scarlet  columns  and  big 
lanterns  and  wheeling  flights  of  pigeons  (tame  as  those 
of  San  Marco),  are  quite  beautiful  to  look  at;  and  I 
often  drive  past  them  just  to  see  the  pigeons  gathering 
round  the  feet  of  some  girl  who  stands  in  the  great 
opening  feeding  them  with  grain  bought  at  the  little 
booths  which  line  the  terrace,  while  behind  her  the 
sun  touches  hundreds  of  huge  stone  lanterns  in  the  grey 
inner  court.  And  when  the  spring  has  come,  when 
the  tall  camellia  trees  are  flinging  the  petals  and  the 
perfume  of  their  single  rose-coloured  blossoms  all  abroad 


VOL.  II 


Q 


226 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


(petals  so  delicate  that  it  seems  wrong  to  walk  on  them, 
perfume  so  fragrant  that  one  longs  to  store  and  carry 
it  away),  then  the  courts  of  the  Shiba  Temples  are 
happy  places  to  wander  through ; its  flights  of  grey 
stone  steps  make  seats  where  one  can  rest  and  dream 
a sunny  hour  away  with  much  profit.  For  the  sun  is 
the  master  of  the  house ; and  unless  you  find  him  at 
home,  you  may  as  well  leave  your  card  and  come 
another  day.  The  dusky  splendours  of  the  sacred 
buildings  will  be  invisible  to  you  unless  he  illuminates 
them ; the  paintings  and  carvings  withdraw  into  space, 
and  none  of  the  fairy- work  will  show  itself  rightly, 
except  at  the  touch  of  the  great  magician. 

The  friend  who  took  me  there  the  first  time  had 
spent  days  and  weeks  in  making  drawings  of  some  of 
the  wonders  of  decoration  on  panel  and  roof ; and  he 
would  not  let  me  go  near  the  temples,  until  one  glorious 
morning  when  it  seemed  as  if  a hundred  suns  were 
shining  at  once.  Then  the  wide  courts,  with  their 
armies  of  lanterns,  their  limpid  fountains  for  the  washing 
of  the  worshippers’  hands,  their  stately  stairs  and  fern- 
set  walls,  all  seemed  so  attractive  that  I had  no  great 
desire  to  enter  the  dark  buildings.  But  my  want  of 
enterprise  was  taken  no  notice  of,  and  I was  glad,  for 
the  contents  of  the  casket  were  equal  to  the  outer 
covering.  Through  a splendidly  carved  dragon-gate, 
we  passed  to  an  inner  court,  where  are  two  hundred 
and  twelve  bronze  lanterns,  very  stately  to  behold. 
Beautiful,  also,  is  the  cisteim  for  holy  water,  per- 
petually brimming  with  a crystal  flood  which  never 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


227 


overflows.  Then  we  pass  to  an  inner  court  still,  whose 
galleries  are  adorned  with  elaborate  paintings;  over 
our  heads  a beautiful  winged  woman  hovers,  painted  in 
the  purest  and  most  brilliant  colours;  and  everywhere 
are  endless  interweavings  of  those  wave  and  wind 
patterns  which  symbolise  the  original  principles  in 
nature,  the  Fung  Shui  (wind  and  water  spirits)  of 


GATE  OF  THE  SIIIBA  TEMPLE 

China.  It  would  take  many  days  to  note  all  the 
changes,  the  beautiful  elaborations  worked  from  these 
through  hundreds  of  developments,  in  each  of  wdiich 
the  artist  gives  a new  shape  and  meaning  to  the  rush 
of  the  hurricane,  the  curl  and  spray  of  the  wave.  But 
we  pass  on  from  the  gallery  intended  for  the  Daimyos, 
who  accompanied  each  Shogun  when  he  came  here, 
to  his  own  temple,  to  pray.  They  might  not  go  with 


228 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


him  to  the  inner  sanctuary,  the  Honden ; there  he 
entered,  and  offered  up  his  devotions  alone,  while  they 
sat,  the  greater  divided  from  the  less,  in  perfect  silence 
without.  All  this  painting  and  gilding  and  carving 
must  have  proved  a great  interest  and  solace,  if  the 
Shogun  was  long  at  his  prayers.  We  passed  on  to  the 
inner  sanctuary,  having  slipped  off  our  shoes  so  as  not 
to  scratch  the  polished  and  lacquered  steps  with  our 
hard  heels. 

I believe  there  is  in  the  human  being  a profound 
hunger  and  thirst  for  beauty  for  its  own  sake  ; there 
are  chords  in  our  hearts  which  thrill  at  the  sight  of 
piled  gold  and  rippling  jewels,  at  the  miracles  of  per- 
fect, priceless  decoration,  as  they  thrill  at  great  music 
or  a splendid  sunset.  Now  and  then  in  life  this  hunger 
is  satisfied  by  a feast,  and  more  than  a feast,  of  beauty ; 
the  soul  is  intoxicated  with  the  new  wine  of  gold  and 
colour  and  magnificence,  and  understands  in  that  tri- 
umphant flush  some  secret  of  the  permanent  and  divine 
essence  of  beauty  which  it  never  can  apprehend,  or 
affects  to  forget,  in  the  sober  daylight  of  its  working 
existence.  When  I found  myself  face  to  face  with  the 
marvel  called  the  Octagonal  Shrine,  I felt  that  I was 
in  presence  of  the  supreme  effort  of  art  in  one  particu- 
lar direction  — that  this  vision  of  the  eight-sided  shrine 
of  pure  gold  lacquer,  from  whose  depths  trees  and  hills, 
birds  and  beasts,  have  been  as  it  were  resolved  for  us 
to  see,  whose  sides  and  pinnacles  shine  with  gems  and 
fairy-work  of  rainbow  enamel,  this  indeed  could  rank 
with  my  visit  to  the  green-draped  shrine  in  the  Dresden 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


229 


beauty,  mine  for  ever  in  the  inalienable  kingdom  of 
remembrance.  I have  but  to  close  my  eyes,  and  there 
rises  before  me  this  golden  flower  of  beauty  blooming 
on  its  petalled  base  in  hazy  glory ; the  sun  falls  on  it 
down  the  softened  air,  and  seems  to  kiss  it  into  warmth 
and  life.  The  columns  all  around  reach  up,  as  if  they 


Gallery  where  tlie  Sistine  Madonna  reigns  in  the  silence, 
with  golden  hours  passed  under  Michelangelo’s  cypresses 
in  the  gardens  of  our  home,  with  our  sailings  in  the 
summer  moonlight  past  the  islands  of  the  syrens  to  the 
violets  of  Psestum  : here  was  one  more  piece  of  perfect 


THK  HALL  OF  THE  BOOKS 


230 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


had  grown  of  themselves  in  bars  of  pure  gold,  to  fence 
the  treasure  in  from  floor  to  ceiling ; and  the  roof  itself, 
with  all  its  sombre  splendour,  seems  a shadowy  reflec- 
tion of  the  jewelled  casket  below.  It  contains But 

who  cares  what  it  contains  ? The  perfume  of  the  rain- 
bow and  the  elixir  of  life,  most  like ! No,  only  a little 
image  of  the  Shogun  Hidetada  and  his  mortuary  tablet ; 
and  the  Shogun  himself  lies  deep  in  the  ground  below 
our  feet,  rolled  in  vermilion  and  charcoal  to  preserve 
his  bones.  Gladly  must  his  spirit  hover  over  the  place 
where  his  memory  is  enshrined  in  all  that  beauty ! 

There  are  other  chapels  and  other  shrines  in  Shiba’s 
magic  courts  — shrines  of  surpassing  richness  and  love- 
liness ; and  if  we  ever  go  there  together,  you  shall  visit 
them  first : we  will  linger  in  the  great  hall  of  the  books, 
where  the  sacred  scrolls  lie  swathed  in  silk,  each  in  its 
lacquered  box  on  its  lacquered  stand ; we  will  see  paint- 
ings and  carvings,  angels  and  demons,  peonies  and  lotus 
flowers  in  a hundred  lovely  tints ; and  then,  when  you 
are  inured  to  hardihood  through  this  orgy  of  colour  and 
decoration,  we  will  visit  the  tomb  of  the  Second  Shogun. 
We  will  see  it  un dazzled,  sober  still,  if  possible,  but 
shall  want  no  more  sights  afterwards.  Sufficit ! 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 


IN  THE  empress’s  OWN  GARDEN. — A WHITE  SAIL  SET 
SQUARE  TO  THE  WIND.  — THE  BOYS’  FESTIVAL,  ITS 
ORIGIN  AND  MEANING. — HIDEYOSHI  AND  HIS  BATTLE 
STANDARD.  — THE  MONGOLIAN  INVASION 


HE  Empress’s  own  cherry  blossoms  were  in  all 


their  glory  in  April,  when  she  invited  us  to  come 
to  her  Palace  garden  by  the  sea  to  look  at  them. 
Something  interfered  with  the  festival  last  year,  so 
this  was  my  first  visit  to  the  Hama  Rikyii,  or  Enryo 
Kwan.  Everywhere  the  cherry  blossoms  have  been 
perfect  this  year ; our  own  garden  is  a dream  of 
loveliness.  There  has  been  just  enough  rain  to  bring 
on  the  flowers  without  drowning  them,  and  at  one 
moment  the  whole  place  was  like  the  rose-coloured 
wedding  that  we  once  had  in  the  family.  Do  you 
remember  the  transformation  of  that  December  day  ? 
Winter  seemed  a thousand  years  away,  when  we  went 
down  to  see  the  Empress’s  cherry  blossoms.  The 
Hama  Rikyu  consists  more  of  gardens  than  palace  ; for 
the  house,  though  pretty,  is  small,  and  is  chiefly  used 
for  the  accommodation  of  illustrious  visitors.  It  was 
there  that  our  two  young  Princes  were  received  when 


Tokyo,  May,  1891. 


231 


232 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


they  visited  Tokyo.  The  Empress  stays  there  for  a 
few  weeks  in  the  late  spring  to  enjoy  the  freshness  of 
the  sea  breezes,  which  blow  in  at  the  wide  windows. 
The  sea  rolls  np  to  the  foot  of  the  walls  on  one  side ; 
and  the  garden  is  built  out  into  the  water,  like  Mira- 
mar, near  Trieste.  The  flowery  alleys  wind  about 
amongst  lakes  and  canals,  where  real  waves  come  beat- 
ing boldly  against  the  toy  bridges.  There  are  islands 
with  quaint  pavilions  perched  on  their  green  summits, 
and  arbours,  and  boats,  and  all  the  furniture  of  a fairy 
tale;  and  everywhere,  above  the  floating  strains  of  the 
gay  bands,  above  the  murmur  of  talk  and  singing  of 
the  wind  in  the  trees,  comes  the  august  chant  of  the 
sea  — the  chant  that  began  when  all  this  rich  country 
was  a reed-grown  marsh,  when  the  wild  foxes  were 
the  only  courtiers,  and  Emperors  and  Empresses  of 
Japan  were  called  Prince  Fire-Shine  and  Princess  Fire- 
Subside,  and  the  Flood-Tide  Jewel  and  the  Ebb-Tide 
Jewel,  in  the  play-grounds  of  mythology.  The  sea  is 
with  us  still,  and  has  never  turned  courtier.  As  we 
walked  through  the  gardens  in  the  usual  official  pro- 
cession behind  the  sovereigns,  we  looked,  with  all  the 
uniforms  and  finery,  like  some  huge  dazzling  snake, 
gliding  in  and  out  of  all  the  narrow  paths,  hanging  on 
red  bridges,  losing  its  lengths  in  green  dells ; and  the 
breeze  rioting  in  from  the  hay  rained  down  cherry 
blossoms  on  our  heads. 

Suddenly  we  came  out  on  a wide  terrace  close  to 
the  sea;  the  salt  water  was  lapping  against  the  stones 
at  our  feet ; the  sea-gulls  flew  inland  with  wild  cries, 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


233 


the  afternoon  sun  turning  their  wings  to  dull  gold ; 
the  gardens  stretched  back  towards  the  town,  their 
mountains  of  rosy  bloom  seeming  to  break  like  spray 
against  the  black-green  pines  on  the  steeps  of  Count 
Ito’s  garden.  And  just  then,  in  the  tearing  breeze,  a 
native  boat,  with  its  great  white  sail  set  square  to  the 
wind,  seemed  to  be  rushing  down  on  us  for  a moment 
— came  so  near  that  for  one  breathless  space  we  heard 
the  water  cutting  cold  against  the  prow ; the  brine 


A VERY  OLD  CHERRY  TREE  IN  BLOOM 


from  the  new-made  wavelets  came  salt  on  the  air,  and 
a rim  of  spray  hung  between  us  and  the  sun ; then 
the  boat  turned  and  tacked,  and  tied  up  the  bay,  carry- 
ing some  stray  pink  petals  lodged  in  the  hollow  of 
the  sail.  It  was  just  a piece  of  bare  delicious  nature, 
let  down  before  our  eyes  as  a contrast  to  all  the  arti- 
ficialities of  the  Court.  Perhaps  even  that  is  less 
artificial  here  than  it  would  be  over  the  water.  Our 
dainty  Empress,  who  has  the  soul  of  a poet,  had 
ordered  from  her  own  looms  a robe  of  pale  apple- 


234 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


green  brocade,  with  bunches  of  rosy  cherry  blossoms 
scattered  over  it.  The  effect  was  quite  lovely.  A soft 
green  velvet  mantle,  and  a bonnet  of  white  lace  and 
jewels,  made  one  forget  that  the  gown  had  to  be  made 
in  European  fashion;  and  the  Empress  herself  seemed 
very  happy  that  day,  as  if  she  were  frankly  enjoying 
the  flowers  and  the  sunshine,  and  even  the  bonbons, 
cherry  blossoms  and  brown  twigs  and  fairy  grasses,  all 
done  in  sugar  by  that  famous  Court  confectioner ! 
She  kept  me  with  her  longer  than  usual,  asking  many 
kind  questions  about  some  theatricals  which  we  had 
had  for  a charitable  object,  an  infirmary  which  was 
much  wanted,  and  for  which  she  had  kindly  sent  me 
a generous  cheque. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  I came  away  with  regret 
from  one  of  these  stiff  parties ; the  whole  thing  was 
so  wonderfully  pretty  and  fresh.  But  I suppose  we 
shall  soon  see  the  gardens  of  the  Enryo  Kwan  again, 
since  the  Cesarevitch,  who  is  expected  for  a visit  to 
Japan,  will  be  lodged  there. 

Very  great  preparations  are  being  made  for  this 
royal  visit.  The  apartments  in  the  Palace  by  the  sea 
have  all  been  furnished  and  decorated  anew  ; there  are 
to  be  triumphal  arches  and  illuminations  and  Court 
balls ; and  the  Emperor  intends  to  lavish  honours  — 

and  fun  — on  his  guest.  The  S s at  the  Kussian 

Legation  have  transformed  their  somewhat  dingy  house 
into  a bower  of  flowery  beauty ; I have  just  been 
going  over  it,  and  rather  envied  the  Grand  Duke  the 
two  thousand  pots  of  lilies  in  bloom  which  are  to  line 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


235 


the  great  staircase.  They  must  have  spent  an  enor- 
mous amount  of  money,  for  they  have  had  to  build 
an  immense  ballroom  out  into  the  garden ; and  as 
there  was  no  time  for  painting  and  papering,  the 

whole  place  has  been  lined  with  Japanese  craj)es  in 
brilliant  colours,  palms,  and  ferns,  and  creeping  plants. 

I could  not  help  condoling  a little  with  Madame  S 

on  the  endless  bother  of  the  whole  thing.  How  can 
you  say  such  a word ! ” she  cried,  with  flashing  eyes. 
Bother!  It  is  a joy  to  do  anything  for  our  sover- 
eign’s son.  I wish  we  could  have  done  fifty  times 

more ! ” 

And  now,  since  it  is  May,  and  since  the  Cesarevitch 
cannot  be  here  for  a few  days  yet,  let  me  tell  you  of 
the  strange  symbolic  rejoicing  called  the  Boys’  Festival, 
which  is  peopling  the  town  with  flying-fish,  rising  and 
falling  from  their  gilt  poles  on  every  breeze — fish  of 
every  size  and  colour,  but  all  of  one  shape,  the  shape  of 
the  koi,  the  undaunted,  unconquerable  carp. 

When  the  fifth  day  of  the  fifth  month  has  come, 
the  streets  of  Tokyo  and  of  every  city  in  the  empire 

are  alive  with  these  quaint  banners  fluttering  in  the 

wind.  A stranger  might  congratulate  himself  on  having 
arrived  at  a moment  of  public  rejoicing ; and  I shall 
never  forget  the  amazement  with  which  I regarded 
the  flying-fish  and  their  golden  rice-balls,  when  I first 
arrived  here,  in  May,  two  years  ago.  Now  they  are 
a part  of  the  spring;  and  it  seems  as  if  its  best  days 
were  past  when  they  no  longer  hover  over  the  low 
brown  roofs. 


236 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


For  all  its  festal  aspect,  no  crowds  or  knots  of 
holiday-makers  are  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  of  the 
city ; no  drums  are  beating  the  time  of  a religious 
festival : everything  is  quiet.  The  shops  are  open ; 
customers  are  coming  and  going ; brown  little  children 
with  bare  legs  play  with  bean-bags  in  the  roads ; the 
young  girl  walks  slowly  along  in  her  clattering  glieta 
(clogs)  and  silken  kimono,  followed  by  her  attendant 
maid,  wdio  carries  her  books  from  school ; the  business 
man  in  native  costume  and  ‘MDowler”  hat  wheels  by 
in  his  jinriksha  to  his  day’s  work.  Busy  life  seems 
going  on  everywhere,  undisturbed,  beneath  the  rustling 
wave  of  bright  colour  which  floats  over  the  town. 
Bright,  indeed ! The  banners  which  fly  from  almost 
every  house  are  all  in  the  shape  of  gigantic  fishes, 
painted  blue  or  red  or  grey,  with  silver  scales,  made 
of  paper  or  cotton  cloth,  and  hollow  so  that  they  swell 
and  rise,  shrink  and  fall,  as  the  wind  takes  or  leaves 
them.  Very  realistic,  indeed,  are  their  gaping  mouths, 
huge  eyes,  and  fins,  and  the  sheen  of  their  scales 
glinting  in  the  sunlight.  They  are  of  various  sizes, 
though  always  large,  and  all  made  after  one  pattern  — 
that  of  the  koi,  or  carp. 

The  koi  is  the  emblem  of  a male  child  and  of  luck ; 
and  this  is  the  Boys’  Festival,  0 Sekku  or  Tango,  as  the 
Japanese  call  it. 

Fish  in  Japan  takes  the  place  of  beef  in  England, 
and  next  to  rice  is  the  staple  product  of  the  country. 
On  the  birth  of  a son,  the  support  of  the  house,  the 
relations  and  friends  send  or  bring  with  their  con- 


THE  FISH  FESTIVAL 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


239 


gratulations  live  hoi  swimming  about  in  tubs  of  water ; 
and  at  this  feast  parents  are  entitled  to  display  a paper 
fish  for  each  son,  the  younger  the  child  the  larger 
the  fish,  and  vice  versa.  This  toy  fish  is  attached  to 
a long  bamboo  pole,  which  is  hoisted  in  front  of  the 
house,  often  with  other  ornamental  flags  and  signs, 
such  as  a wind-wheel  or  a gilded  wicker  basket,  which 
may  stand  for  the  jjuffy  ball  of  rice  paste  with  which 
the  real  fish  are  fed.  Several  fish  may  often  be  seen 
flapping  around  one  pole ; and  proud  is  that  house,  for 
it  means  that  the  master  is  blest  with  many  sons. 

But  the  carp  does  not  stand  (or  swim)  only  for 
luck  and  good  cheer.  That  wonderful  feat,  only  ac- 
complished after  persevering  efforts,  of  swimming  up 
the  rapids  {tahi  Jiohori),  is,  as  I think  I said  before, 
the  symbol  of  the  brave  youth  who  overcomes  the 
difficulties  and  obstacles  of  life.  I do  not  think 
European  carp  ever  attempt  the  enterprise,  and  it  was 
only  when  I came  to  Japan  that  I learnt  that  it  is 
possible.  Here  it  has  passed  into  a proverb,  and  is 
a favourite  subject  with  the  native  artists,  the  valiant 
carp  being  now  synonymous  with  the  abstract  virtues 
of  perseverance  and  fortitude.  The  legend  says  that 
when  he  has  scaled  the  waterfall  a white  cloud  from 
heaven  sweeps  down  and  catches  up  the  triumphant 
fish,  who  then  becomes  a dragon.  The  brave  hoi,  un- 
daunted by  the  most  fearful  difficulties,  is  pointed  out 
to  the  boy  to  impress  upon  him  that  the  prizes  of 
life  are  not  for  the  sluggard  or  the  coward,  and  its 
presence  in  lifelike  similitude  at  his  birthday  feast  is 


240 


LETTERS  ERO:\I  JAPAN 


meant  to  act  as  an  incentive  to  manly  action  and 
unflagging  courage. 

His  birthday  feast  it  is,  at  whatever  time  of  the 
year  he  may  have  been  born.  Except  for  the  purpose 
of  casting  a horoscope,  the  real  day  of  his  birth  will  be 
seldom  remembered ; and  just  as  every  girl’s  festival  is 
March  3rd,  so  every  boy’s  festival  proper  is  May  5th, 
although  the  whole  month  is  more  or  less  his,  and  the 
fish  float  triumphantly  from  their  enormous  flagstaffs 
until  the  heats  of  June.  It  is  on  May  5th  that  the 
little  feast  is  kept  inside  the  house  — every  house,  rich 
or  poor,  that  Heaven  has  honoured  with  a son.  And 
in  all  we  should  see  the  same  symbols,  the  same  flowers ; 
for  sons  belong  to  the  poor  as  well  as  to  the  rich,  and 
are  counted  as  the  props  of  the  home. 

First  of  all,  in  the  matted  dwelling,  one  notices  that 
in  the  floral  arrangements,  which  are  a distinct  part  of 
every  ceremonial,  a marked  preference  is  shown  for 
the  long  graceful  leaves  and  spirited  flowers  of  the 
iris.  On  the  raised  da'is,  the  place  of  honour,  in  the 
chief  room,  one  will  see  a fine  lacquer  table  supporting 
a vase,  or  more  often  a flat  dish,  of  these  lovely  flowers, 
every  leaf  and  blossom  shooting  up  at  exactly  the  right 
angle  of  strength  and  grace  — the  result  of  an  hour’s 
work  or  more,  but  looking  so  exquisitely  natural  that 
it  seems  incredible  they  should  not  have  grown  so  by 
themselves,  up  from  the  limpid  water  where  a tiny 
wedge  of  bamboo  is  really  holding  them  all  irrevocably 
in  place.  In  another  room  is  a wicker  basket,  or  bam- 
boo hanging  vase,  pierced  in  two  or  three  places  j and 


241 


LETTERS  FROM  JARAX 

from  this  the  swordlike  leaves  emerge  with  a will  of 
their  own,  and  the  delicate  flower-de-luce  hangs  its 
petals  over  them  like  white  and  purple  flags,  well-wishing 
them  through  the  fight. 

At  this  time  of  year  the  table  at  a Japanese  dinner 
party  is  a study  of  what  can  be  done  with  these  most 
characteristic  flowers.  I was  at  one  a little  while  ago, 
where  all  the  decoration  consisted  of  green  bamboo,  of 
the  most  perfect  and  polished  surface,  cut  into  sections 


A PLEASUKE-liOAT  ON  THE  CANAL 


of  different  lengths,  and  set  upright  in  perfect  grada- 
tion in  three  groups,  spaced  down  the  long  table.  In 
these  natural  organ  pipes  were  arranged  thin  screens  of 
iris  flowers,  ranging  from  deep  purple  to  pale  mauve, 
with  their  pointed  leaves  shooting  up  like  swords  among 
them.  Every  grace  of  stem,  every  vigorous  breaking 
of  flower  from  sheath,  or  leaf  from  leaf,  was  displayed 
with  unerring  knowledge  and  decision;  and  the  result 
— forgive  repetition  — was  the  most  perfect  picture  of 
strength  and  grace  that  it  is  possible  to  see. 


VOL.  II 


11 


242 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


But  to  return  to  our  little  Japanese  boy  and  bis 
festival.  To-day  Yasu,  or  Saburo,  or  Takenori  would 
in  old  times  have  expected  to  find  the  entrance  of  his 
house  all  decked  with  iris  leaves  in  the  morning ; and 
he  and  his  friends  would  have  plaited  little  toy  swords, 
and  have  done  some  sharp  mock  fighting,  just  to  mark 
the  day.  For  fighting  was  what  the  young  samurai 
had  to  learn ; and  a friend  tells  me  that,  in  order  to 
harden  young  boys  and  make  them  absolutely  indifferent 
to  suffering,  he  and  his  young  townsmen  were  obliged 
to  rise  from  their  warm  beds  between  three  and  four 
on  a winter’s  morning,  and  go  in  a single  robe,  bare 
of  head,  and  bare  of  foot,  to  the  fencing-ground,  where 
many  a hard  blow  was  dealt,  and  the  young  blood, 
warmed  by  the  fight,  threw  off  the  rigour  of  the  icy 
cold,  and  knew  that  it  had  won  one  victory  more  over 
sloth  and  weakness.  He  was  quite  accustomed  to  this 
terrific  regime  when  he  was  eight  years  old ! 

So  while  our  Japanese  boys  are  playing,  like  others, 
at  war,  they  know  more  of  its  hardships  than  one 
would  think  who  only  saw  them  with  green  swords 
in  the  mild  May  morning.  The  bath  has  preceded  the 
play,  and  in  the  bath  the  irises  too  have  their  service. 
It  is  still  credited  with  strength-giving  powers,  probably 
on  account  of  its  remarkable  vitality  and  the  varied 
character  of  its  growth  through  the  changing  seasons. 
Great  bunches  of  the  leaves  are  thrown  into  the  ocean 
of  hot  water  called  a bath  in  Japan.  Thus  used,  the 
plant  was  supposed  to  inspire  the  spirit  of  patriotism 
and  valour.  Tradition  held  that  the  dew  was  an  in- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


243 


dispensable  agent  in  developing  tbis  property  in  the 
herb,  which  was  therefore  employed  the  day  before 
the  festival  in  decorating  the  house-roof,  being  exposed 
there  all  night,  to  be  taken  down  in  the  morning 
for  the  bath,  in  which  the  eldest  son  was  the  first  to 
bathe. 

But  in  the  best  room  of  the  house,  the  honoured 
guest  apartment  ” as  it  is  called,  there  are  many 
things  besides  flowers  set  out  — warlike  figures,  and 
toy  weapons,  such  as  would  appeal  to  any  boy’s  heart, 
in  East  or  West.  But  here  the  figures  are  not  toys  — 
they  are  portraits ; and  each  one  tell^its  tale  of  glory 
in  the  ears  of  the  Japanese  child.  These  models  of 
men,  clad  in  armour,  standing  in  attitudes  of  action 
or  menace  ; the  horses,  richly  and  minutely  caparisoned, 
pawing  the  ground  as  if  impatient  for  battle,  — they 
are  the  images  of  the  warriors  and  heroes  of  this 
strange  land,  accompanied  by  their  chargers,  whose 
names  have  also  been  handed  down  for  veneration. 
That  warrior  to  the  left  of  the  bronze  bowl  is  lye- 
yasu,  the  maker  of  Yedo,  the  general  whose  tomb  we 
have  seen  among  the  solemn  pines  of  Nikko,  the  man 
whom  the  Japanese  consider  the  greatest  ruler  the 
country  has  ever  obeyed.  Beside  him  is  that  famous 
charger,  who  outlived  him  for  thirty  years,  wandering 
free  among  the  sacred  groves.  His  tomb  also  we  have 
seen.  Yonder  is  the  figure  of  the  mythical  Raiko,  the 
Japanese  giant-killer,  who  delivered  Kyoto  from  a fear- 
ful cannibal  demon ; and  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  him 
is  the  effigy  of  another  hero,  Momotaro,  the  peach- 


244 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


born  boy,  who  accomplished  prodigies  of  strength,  and 
freed  his  country  from  a stronghold  of  devils. 


Standing  up  among  the 
bows  and  arrows,  the  swords 
and  spears,  may  be  seen  the 
model  of  a very  strange- 
looking  battle  standard,  or 
umajiriishi.  The  head  of 
this  banner  is  composed  of 
a number  of  small  gourds, 
golden  in  colour,  clustered 
round  a larger  one,  and  all 
placed  on  a rod.  Underneath 
the  gourds,  a little  way 
down,  strips  of  bright  scarlet 
cloth  are  suspended  round 
the  stick.  No  one  looking 
at  the  pretty  toy  could  im- 
agine its  romantic  origin  or 
the  wonderful  part  it  has 
played  in  the  history  of 
Japan.  The  gourds  and  scar- 
let cloth  represent  the  umajirushi  of  Toyotomi  Hide- 
yoshi,  the  greatest  adventurer,  and  perhaps  the  greatest 
general,  in  Japanese  history.  He  was  born  of  poor 
parents  in  1536 ; and  it  is  said  that  before  his  birth, 
which  was  marked  by  the  appearance  of  a new  star, 
his  mother  dreamed  that  the  sun  was  within  her.  As  a 
child,  he  was  so  unmanageable  that  his  parents  placed 
him  with  bonzes  in  a temple  to  be  trained  for  the 


A TOY  STANDARD 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


245 


priesthood ; but  lie  soon  proved  too  wild  for  them  to 
manage,  and  was  dismissed.  The  same  thing  happened 
at  thirty-eight  places  in  succession,  Hideyoshi  finding 
no  master  who  would  suit  him,  although  he  seems  to 
have  tried  all  the  trades  in  turn,  from  a crockery- 
maker,  to  whom  he  was  apprenticed,  to  a robber  chief, 
in  whose  gang  he  served  for  a time.  He  was  already 
distinguished  amongst  his  companions  by  his  courage 
and  dexterity  in  fencing,  by  his  constant  readiness  for 
a fight,  and  by  his  ugliness,  which  gained  him  the 
name  of  Saru-no-suke,  or  monkey.  ^ 

Undaunted  by  misfortunes  that  would  have  crushed 
others,  he  at  last  determined  to  enter  the  service  of 
Oda  Nobunaga,  a minor  baron,  who  had  gained  posses- 
sion of  the  provinces  of  Suruga,  Mino,  Omi,  Mikawa, 
Ichizen,  and  Ise.  Without  waiting  for  his  friends  to 
petition  for  an  audience  for  him,  or  for  the  ceremonious 
introductions  necessary  at  that  age  before  a commoner 
could  approach  a noble,  Hideyoshi  forced  his  way  into 
the  presence  of  Nobunaga  when  the  latter  was  resting 
in  his  tent  after  a day’s  hunting,  and  fearlessly  said 
that  he  had  come  to  enlist  himself  in  the  Baron’s 
retinue,  and  that  he  had  chosen  Nobunaga  as  a master 
worthy  of  his  services. 

Nobunaga,  impressed  by  the  young  man’s  spirit  and 
bearing,  appointed  him  to  take  the  place  of  one  of  his 
foot  soldiers  of  the  lowest  rank  who  had  fallen  ill. 
Soon  after  this  event  he  was  called  upon  to  show  his 
strength  and  courage  in  single  combat  with  one  of  the 
other  retainers.  In  those  days  every  warrior  of  any 


246 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


renown  whatever  possessed  his  own  battle  sign,  and  by 
this  he  was  known.  Hideyoshi,  a young  and  poor  ad- 
venturer, low  in  rank  withal,  could  not  obtain  one ; 
but  he  would  not  do  battle  without  a banner  of  some 
kind  to  distinguish  him.  A gourd  was  growing  by  the 
wayside ; he  tore  it  up  by  the  roots,  and  rushed  to 
the  contest,  flourishing  it  aloft.  His  opponent,  though 
an  experienced  warrior,  was  overcome;  Hideyoshi  won 
the  day,  and  with  it  great  renown,  rising  high  in  the 
estimation  of  his  lord,  who  loudly  praised  his  valour. 
Ever  after,  Hideyoshi  had  his  battle  standard  made  of 
gourds,  and  vowed  that  for  every  victory  he  won  he 
would  plant  one  of  these  vines.  AYhether  he  was  able 
to  fulfil  the  ambition  he  then  formed,  that  of  number- 
ing a thousand  such  trophies,  we  are  not  told;  but  his 
banner  is  still  known  as  Sen-nari-hisago,  or  the  one 
thousand  gourds. 

By  dint  of  hard  work,  indomitable  wfill,  and  brave 
fighting  Hideyoshi  soon  became  the  most  capable  and 
trusted  retainer  in  Nobunaga’s  Court,  and  on  the  assas- 
sination of  the  latter  subdued  the  whole  country,  and 
forced  the  other  Daimyos  to  own  him  as  their  lord. 
The  Mikado  installed  him  in  the  office  of  Kivambakii, 
or  Regent ; and  by  his  wonderful  power  of  organisa- 
tion, and  the  instinct  which  led  him  to  choose  such 
men  as  lyeyasu  for  his  generals  and  administrators, 
comparative  peace  and  harmony  was  brought  to  reign 
in  the  country  in  place  of  the  strife  and  bloodshed  and 
revolt  of  the  last  two  hundred  years.  So  Hideyoshi 
rose  by  his  own  efforts  from  the  lowest  rank  of  the 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


247 


people  to  be  the  ruler  of  his  country ; and  the  effect  of 
his  work  lasted  for  more  than  two  centuries  after  him. 

Such  are  the  stories  of  brave  deeds  and  wonderful 
lives  told  to  the  boys  of  Japan,  when  on  May  5th 
their  gentle  little  mother  gathers  her  sons  together, 
and  takes  them  to  the  ozashiki  (honourable  drawing- 
room), where  they  all  sit  round  her  on  the  matted 
floor,  and  gaze  reverently  at  the  array  of  emblematical 
toys,  standards,  and  weapons.  They  see  the  bright 
gourds,  and  know  the  meaning  of  the  strange  toy;  and 
with  deep-drawn  breath  they  answer  the  questions  put 
to  test  their  knowledge  in  the  leading  events  of  their 
history. 

Then  the  sliding-door  opens,  and  the  old  nurse, 
with  blackened  teeth  and  shaved  eyebrows,  carrying 
the  infant  son  on  her  back,  crawls  in.  The  okkasan 
(honourable  mother)  stops  in  her  talk,  and  turns  to 
welcome  the  newcomer,  whose  head  is  bent  and  patted 
into  a bow  by  the  nurse,  as  she  makes  a profound 
reverence  before  taking  her  place  behind  the  mistress. 
Some  more  stories  are  told,  and  then  the  mother  dis- 
misses her  children,  telling  them  that  if  they  wish  to 
please  their  ^^lonourable  father”  they  must  follow  the 
example  of  such  men  as  the  heroes  before  them,  and 
to  do  this  they  must  be  brave  in  battle  and  persever- 
ing in  difficulties.  Thus  only  can  they  hope  to  repay 
the  many  blessings  they  owe  to  their  own  father  and 
to  the  “Father  of  the  Land,”  their  Emperor,  in  “this 
reign  of  enlightenment.”  The  children  bring  their 
little  dark  heads  to  the  floor  in  low  obeisance  before 


248 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


their  mother.  Then  they  run  along  the  smooth  ve- 
randah till  they  come  to  the  block  of  stone  which 
serves  for  a step  into  the  garden.  Sliding  off  the  veran- 
dah, they  slip  into  the  wooden  clogs  which  lie  wait- 
ing there,  and  go  perhaps  to  watch  the  sign  of  their 
existence  floating  from  its  pole  in  the  garden ; or  to 
the  pond,  where,  in  answer  to  the  clapping  of  their 
hands,  the  favourite  carp  come  to  be  fed,  jumping  up 
from  amongst  the  yet  closely  furled  lotus  leaves,  and 
opening  and  shutting  their  mouths  in  appreciation  of 
the  food  thrown  to  them  by  their  little  masters.  At 
midday  a maid  comes  to  the  edge  of  the  yengawa 
(verandah),  waves  her  hand  from  the  wrist  downwards 
out  of  the  large  falling  sleeve,  calling,  Waka  sama, 
waka  sama  ” (Young  master,  young  master),  come, 
the  food  is  served ! ” And  they  run  in  merrily,  and 
more  quickl}^  than  usual,  in  anticipation  of  the  red  rice 
which  they  know  will  be  provided  to-day  in  honour  of 
the  feast,  instead  of  the  usual  plain  white  golian.  As 
they  pass  their  mother’s  room,  they  see  her  busily  lift- 
ing cakes  wrapped  in  leaves,  from  a huge  plate  in 
which  they  are  piled,  into  square  lacquer  boxes.  These, 
daintily  tied  up  in  a furoshiki  (the  cotton,  silk,  or 
crape  wrapper  in  which  presents  are  always  sent  — 
the  crest  of  the  family  is  stamped  on  the  furoshiki 
used  on  ceremonious  occasions),  are  to  be  sent  to  dif- 
ferent friends  with  congratulatory  greetings.  In  a few 
minutes,  having  given  directions  about  the  different 
boxes,  she  comes  into  the  children’s  room  with  a plate 
of  the  same  cakes,  okashiiva,  made  especially  for  this 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


249 


festival,  and,  sitting  down  on  the  floor,  serves  out  with 
o'hashi  (chopsticks)  an  equal  number  on  each  child’s  tray. 

A small  lacquer  table,  called  an  osambo,  is  set 
before  the  suits  of  armour  and  the  models  of  warriors ; 
on  it  is  placed  a little  offering  of  the  ceremonial  food 
of  the  day ; namely,  a dish  of  the  okasMwa^  sweet- 
meats, and  the  usual  blue-and-white  porcelain  bottle 
filled  with  sake,  in  which  petals  of  the  iris  have  been 
scattered. 

The  Tango^  or  Boys’  Festival,  has  always  been  the 
occasion  for  giving  boys  some  part  of  their  martial 
accoutrements;  and  so  when  the  ottottsama  (lit.  hon- 
ourable father  Mr.)  comes  home,  there  may  be  a crown- 
ing pleasure  to  this  day  of  happiness  in  store  for  them 
in  the  shape  of  a gift  of  arms.  Although  the  ancient 
picturesque  armour  is  now  laid  aside  for  the  modern 
soldier’s  uniform,  the  sword  and  bow  still  hold  -their 
own  in  the  fencing  and  archery  schools,  which  preserve 
the  remembrance  of  some  of  the  old  methods  of  warfare 
threatened  with  oblivion  and  disuse  by  the  march  of 
civilisation.  It  may  often  only  be  a toy  rapier  or  gun 
which  the  little  miisuko  receives ; but  it  sends  him, 
happy  as  a king,  to  marshal  out  his  playmates  in 
mock  battle,  or  to  strut  in  their  ranks  with  the  seri- 
ousness of  reality. 

The  story  of  the  origin  of  this  gala  day  is  often 
repeated  to  the  children ; and  I will  give  it  to  you  as 
it  is  generally  told  here. 

The  festival  is  said  to  have  been  instituted  in  com- 
memoration of  the  repulse  of  the  Mongolian  invasion  of 


250 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Japan,  a.d.  1281,  an  event  wliich  seems  still  fresh  in 
the  minds  of  the  people,  and  a favourite  subject  for 
paintings  and  carvings.  From  1274  to  1281  Japan 
was  greatly  troubled  by  expeditions  sent  against  her 
by  Kublai  Khan,  the  friend  and  patron  of  Marco  Polo. 
Fired  by  the  description  of  the  riches  and  beauty  of 


KUBLAI  KHAN 

From  a very  ancient  Chinese  painting 


the  Eastern  islands,  which  in  Chinese  legends  had  al- 
ways figured  as  a kind  of  earthly  Paradise,  the  great 
Mongol  ruler  fancied  that  Japan  was  politically  weak, 
and  would  at  once  submit  to  his  own  overwhelming 
power.  During  this  period,  though  the  Mina  mot  o Sho- 
guns were  the  nominal  rulers  of  the  country  (the  Mikado 
was,  as  we  have  seen  before,  kept  in  helpless  seclusion). 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


251 


the  Hojos,  their  retainers,  held  the  military  Regency 
under  them;  all  real  power  was  in  their  hands,  after  the 
murder  of  Sanetomo  Minamoto  in  Kamakura.  In  pursu- 
ance of  his  idea  of  annexation,  Kublai  Khan  sent  one 
embassy  after  another  to  demand  submission  from  Japan. 
The  first  embassy  was  dismissed  with  indignity ; an  expe- 
dition followed,  which  took  possession  of  an  island  belong- 
ing to  Japan ; then  new  envoys  were  sent,  but  they  were 
promptly  beheaded  on  the  beach  of  Kamakura  by  Hojo 
Tokumine  in  1275.  Determining  to  give  Japan  a sig- 
nal ]3unishment  for  her  defiance,  the  Mongol  chief  col- 
lected a hundred  thousand  Chinese,  Mongolians,  and 
Coreans,  and  despatched  this  mighty  army  to  Japan  in 
1281.  The  Japanese,  invoking  the  aid  of  the  gods,  met 
the  swarm  of  invaders  off  the  coast  of  Kiushiu.  Several 
engagements  were  fought,  and  at  last,  as  if  in  answer 
to  their  prayers,  a mighty  storm  arose,  the  enemy’s 
fleet  was  scattered,  and  the  Japanese,  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  opportunity,  made  a desperate  and  vigorous 
onslaught  on  the  intruders  and  completely  annihilated 
them.  It  is  recorded  that  only  three  escaped  to  tell 
the  tale. 

Since  this  memorable  repulse  of  the  Mongolian  in- 
vaders, no  foreign  enemy  has  ever  attacked  Japan  ; she 
regards  herself  as  invincible ; and  the  Japanese,  looking 
upon  the  delivering  storm  as  a miraculous  intervention 
on  the  part  of  the  gods  to  save  their  country,  instituted 
the  Tango  to  be  a lasting  memorial  of  thanksgiving  and 
of  the  wonderful  victory  gained  by  the  land  of  the 
gods  ” over  the  barbarians. 


252 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


By  telling  these  stories  to  their  children,  the  Japan- 
ese believe  that  they  sow  the  seeds  of  reverence  and 
admiration  for  the  best  and  noblest  examples  of  their 
ancestors,  the  seeds  of  self-reliance  and  belief  in  the 
invincible  power  of  their  country ; and  though  to  us, 
perhaps,  the  courage  seems  exaggerated  and  the  ideals 
unattainable,  yet  I think  it  bears  no  mean  fruit  in  the 
Japan  of  to-day.  Loyalty  and  courage  are  the  un- 
doubted inheritance  of  the  nation. 

And  so  for  the  little  boys  of  Japan  the  brightly 
coloured  banner  and  the  gay  toy  warriors  have  a real 
and  moral  significance.  The  children’s  hearts  are  stim- 
ulated, unconsciously  at  the  time,  no  doubt,  and  their 
ambition  roused  to  become  worthy  compatriots  of  the 
brave  men  gone  before  them.  I think  the  hour  will 
come  again,  as  it  has  in  time  past,  when  these  things 
will  be  of  use  to  them,  whether  in  the  war  with  evil 
for  good  in  their  own  hearts,  or  on  the  battlefield  face 
to  face  with  the  foe. 


CHAPTER  XXXIY 


THE  ATTACK  OX  THE  CESAREVITCH.  — LOYAL  WOMEN.  — 
TSUDA  SANZO  AND  HIS  LIFE  HISTORY. — A NATION  IN 
MOURNING.  — COURAGEOUS  JUDGES.  — A SAMURAI  MAIDEN 


HE  most  terrible  blow  fell  on  this  unfortunate 


country  on  May  lltli ; and  now,  weeks  afterwards, 
it  is  still  impossible  to  think  or  speak  of  anything  else. 
The  Cesarevitch,  whose  coming  was  so  eagerly  antici- 
pated, for  whose  entertainment  every  resource  of  the 
empire  was  to  be  called  upon,  whom  the  Emperor 
intended  to  honour  as  no  foreign  Prince  has  ever  been 
honoured  before  — the  Cesarevitch  was  attacked,  deeply 
wounded,  all  but  killed,  by  one  of  the  policemen  set  to 
guard  his  way. 

No  words  of  mine  can  describe  the  consternation 
and  dismay  which  took  possession  of  this  place,  when 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  11th  those  horrible  telegrams 
came  pouring  in,  to  the  Russian  Legation,  to  the 
Ministries,  to  the  Palace.  It  was  a lovely  afternoon, 
and  I was  returning  from  a drive,  when  I met,  not  far 

from  home,  my  friend  Mrs.  K . She  stopped  her 

carriage,  and  got  into  mine,  telling  the  coachman  to 
drive  to  the  Russian  Legation,  and  on  the  way  she  told 

253 


Tokyo,  June,  1891. 


254 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


me  what  she  had  just  learnt  from  one  of  the  officials. 
The  Cesarevitch  had  been  attacked ; no  one  knew  yet 
whether  the  wound  was  mortal.  We  were  met  at  the 
entrance  to  the  Russian  Legation  by  scared-looking 
servants,  who  led  us  up  the  big  staircase  where  all  the 
beautiful  floral  decorations  had  just  been  completed  in 
expectation  of  the  Prince’s  visit  to-morrow.  The  fear 
of  death  seemed  to  be  on  every  one,  and  the  very  gloom 
of  it  to  hang  over  the  great  flower-filled  house.  What 

made  it  more  terrible  for  Madame  S and  her 

daughter  was  that  they  were  alone  there,  the  Minister 
himself  being  in  attendance  on  the  Cesarevitch.  As  yet 
no  one  knew  whether  a riot  had  taken  place,  whether 

Monsieur  S were  also  hurt  or  not;  but  to  tell  the 

truth,  I do  not  believe  the  two  poor  loyal  women  could 
have  then  suffered  more  anguish  of  soul  if  he  had  even 
been  killed.  I learnt  for  the  first  time  what  loyalty 
meant ; with  what  a passion  of  devotion  the  blood  of 
some  races  leaps  to  the  call,  mad  to  be  spilt  for  the 
sovereign  and  his  family.  My  poor  friends  were 
utterly  prostrated  by  the  blow,  which  had  fallen  some 
two  hours  before,  while  I was  far  out  in  the  country. 
They  had  wept  till  they  could  weep  no  more,  and  Yera 

S , a most  charming  and  brilliant  girl,  was  raging 

up  and  down  the  room,  wild  to  slay  the  doer  of  the 
deed,  who,  I think,  would  indeed  have  had  a short 
shrift  if  her  little  fingers  had  once  met  on  his  throat. 

Our  Prince,  our  Prince  ! ” she  sobbed ; and  there  were 
no  other  words  but  those.  Our  Prince,  our  Prince ! 
God  have  mercy  on  our  Prince ! ” I am  certain  that 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


255 


at  that  moment  both  mother  and  daughter  would  have 
gone  to  death  joyfully  and  unhesitatingly,  if  by  so  doing 
they  could  have  assured  the  Cesarevitch’s  life.  The 
Russian  Bishop  was  there,  doing  what  he  could  to 
comfort  them ; and  telegram  after  telegram  was  brought 
and  read  to  us  by  the  Secretary,  who  himself  looked  as 
if  he  had  heard  his  death-warrant.  Two  deep  wounds 
on  the  head ; recovery  impossible,”  the  first  message  had 
run  ; then,  Prince  better ; most  courageous,”  Return- 
ing to  Kyoto  at  once,”  Great  loss  of  blood  — I am 

safe  ” (this  had  been  added  at  last  by  Monsieur  S 

to  reassure  his  family  a little) ; I do  not  think  he  himself 
cared  two  pins  whether  he  was  safe  or  not,  and  he  very 
nearly  killed  himself  by  running  for  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  to  the  Otsu  Station,  holding  one  side  of  the 
Prince’s  jinriksha,  while  General  Bariatinsky,  his  Gov- 
ernor, ran  on  the  other  to  defend  him  from  any  further 
possible  attack. 

How  it  all  happened  is  a strange  tale.  The  Cesare- 
vitch  came  over  from  China  on  April  27th,  attended 
by  a squadron  of  Russian  war-ships,  to  begin  a tour 
through  Japan  Avhich  was  to  occupy  a month,  and  dur- 
ing which  he  was  to  be  shown  everything  which  could 
possibly  interest  or  amuse  him.  The  visit  had  been 
under  discussion  for  many  months,  and  was  intended  to 
cement  the  bonds  of  friendship  already  existing  between 
the  two  countries.  We  had  heard  of  the  many  negotia- 
tions on  the  subject,  and  the  coming  of  the  Cesarevitch 
was  to  be  the  event  of  the  year  in  Tokyo.  When  all 
the  arrangements  were  completed,  Monsieur  S still 


256 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


felt  uneasy  about  the  safety  of  the  heir-apparent.  The 
Czar  was  allowing  him  to  come  on  the  Minister’s  repre- 
sentation that  no  danger  whatever  could  possibly  assail 
him  on  Japanese  soil ; hut  the  Minister  himself  (I  remem- 
ber his  telling  me  of  it)  was  not  absolutely  satisfied  with 
the  arrangements  made,  and  finally  told  the  Emperor  of 
Japan  that  he  did  not  consider  the  guarantees  sufficient. 
Then  the  Emperor  made  an  answer  at  which  some  of 
his  own  people  were  almost  indignant.  I take,”  said 
his  Majesty,  ^Hhe  personal  responsibility  of  the  Cesare- 
vitch’s  visit.  His  person  shall  be  sacred  as  my  own; 
I answer  for  his  safety  with  my  own  honour.” 

After  that  there  could  be  no  more  hesitation,  and 
the  Cesarevitch  came,  accompanied  by  his  cousin  Prince 
George  of  Greece,  and  by  a numerous  train,  including 
a number  of  Russian  officers.  Prince  Arisugawa  was 
deputed  to  meet  him,  and  the  people  were  honestly 
and  truly  glad  to  see  him.  The  Emperor’s'  guest 
was  received  with  the  most  hearty  enthusiasm,  when 
he  landed  in  Nagasaki  from  the  Pamiat  Azova,  the 
war-ship  devoted  to  his  especial  service.  The  road 
from  the  quay  to  the  Governor’s  house  where  the 
Cesarevitch  lunched  was  lined  with  crowds  for  the 
mile  and  a half  of  its  length  — crowds  who  received 
their  Emperor’s  guest  with  every  mark  of  welcome. 
From  Nagasaki  he  went  to  Kagoshima,  where  he  and 
Prince  George  and  the  whole  party  were  the  guests 
of  Prince  Shimadzu  for  several  days.  There  some 

splendid  shows  were  organised,  all  the  sports  of  the 
old  feudal  Court  were  revived  in  a kind  of  tournament. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


257 


KYOTO  ^ 

From  a water-colour  drawing  Vy  John  YarUy,  R.A. 

and  the  Russian  Minister  told  me  afterwards  that  the 
display  of  antique  armour  and  weapons  had  been 
quite  wonderful.  Presents  of  great  value  were  offered 
to  the  Prince  and  his  companions,  and  he  is  said  to 
have  much  enjoyed  all  the  novelty  of  the  entertain- 
ments provided.  From  Kagoshima  he  came  up  to 

Kobe,  where  he  landed  and  took  train  for  Kyoto. 
He  was  attended  by  several  great  Japanese  officials, 
among  others  dear  Mr.  Sannomiya,  whom  we  always 
call  the  guardian  angel  of  the  foreigners  here.  While 
the  Cesarevitch  was  visiting  Kyoto,  Mr.  Sannomiya 
came  up  to  Tokyo  to  see  that  everything  was  in 
readiness  for  his  reception  here  by  the  Emperor;  and 
it  was  during  his  absence  that  the  blow  fell.  I shall 
never  forget  his  face,  when  he  came  down  to  the 


VOL.  II 


258 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Russian  Legation  that  evening,  just  before  the  special 
train  started  carrying  most  of  the  Princes  and  all  the 
Ministers  down  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster. 

Of  course,  we  sat  there  speculating  wildly  on  the 
motive  of  the  horrid  crime,  and  longing  to  hear  more 
of  the  details,  for  it  was  as  yet  impossible  to  gather 
from  the  excited  telegrams  anything  but  the  merest 
outline  of  the  facts.  But  more  accurate  news  came 
on  later  in  the  evening,  and  by  midnight  we  knew 
pretty  well  all  that  there  was  to  be  known,  and  could 
also  estimate  the  gravity  of  the  misfortune.  The  poor 
young  Prince  suffered  a great  shock,  with  after-pain, 
fever,  and  weakness.  But  Japan  seemed  to  have  been 
suddenly  arrested  in  her  march  to  the  vanguard  of 
nations,  to  have  been  thrown  back  fifty  years  in  her 
history  of  civilisation,  to  have  fallen  into  a great  abyss 
of  bitter  and  humiliating  trouble. 

And  yet  it  was  such  a simple  story ! Had  it 
happened  in  Europe,  it  would  have  been  looked  upon 
as  a great  misfortune,  but  no  more.  No  deductions 
would  have  been  drawn  from  it ; no  enemies  could 
have  brandished  its  record  in  the  stricken  face  of  the 
nation  to  show  that  no  civilized  peoples  should  have 
friendship  with  her,  that  treaties  were  an  absurdity, 
equality  a dream.  All  that  happened  to  poor  Japan, 
smarting  under  the  wound,  to  her  the  most  bitter  of 
all — a wound  to  her  honour.  The  Emperor’s  welcome 
guest  had  been  betrayed. 

He  had  gone  from  Kyoto  to  see  Lake  Biwa,  the 
Lake  of  the  Lute,  whose  waters  are  called  the  melted 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


259 


snows  of  Fuji.  The  party  had  lunched  with  the  Prefect 
of  the  District  at  a little  place  named  Otsu,  the  usual 
centre  for  some  lovely  excursions  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  lake.  As  the  roads  do  not  allow  of  using  carriages 
in  that  part  of  the  world,  the  Prince  and  his  following 
were  in  jinrikshas,  each  drawn  by  two  coolies.  The 
Cesarevitch  was  in  the  fifth  of  these  little  vehicles, 
those  in  front  being  occupied  by  the  Governor  of  the 
Province,  the  Chief  of  Police,  and  two  inspectors. 
Behind  the  Cesarevitch  came  another  Japanese  official, 
then  Prince  George,  then  one  or  two  other  members 

of  the  party,  and  finally  Monsieur  S , the  Russian 

Minister.  The  streets  were  lined  with  police  on  both 
sides,  the  men  being  set  at  short  intervals  from  each 
other,  all  picked  men  who  could  be  relied  on  to  do 
their  duty.  But  no  one  dreamed  that  their  services 
would  be  really  needed.  It  is  the  boast  of  new  Japan 
that  the  foreigner  can  travel  from  end  to  end  of  the 
empire  without  ever  receiving  the  slightest  molestation ; 
and  this  foreigner  was  the  beloved  Emperor’s  guest ! 

Among  the  policemen  stood  one  called  Tsuda  Sanzo, 
an  old  sergeant-major  in  the  army,  where  he  had 
earned  a decoration  for  services  rendered  in  the  Satsuma 
rebellion.  A self-centred  and  somewhat  bigoted  man, 
he  wms  yet  one  of  the  quiet,  steady,  tried  servants 
who  would  be  chosen  for  such  a post  as  this.  As  the 
Cesarevitch  passed  him,  he  drew  his  great  Japanese 
blade,  and  aimed  a deadly  blow  at  the  Prince’s  head. 
The  jinriksha  was  going  at  a fair  pace,  and  the  sword 
slid,  caught  the  hat,  and  inflicted  a second  blow. 


260 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


Then  it  fell  as  Tsiida  himself  fell;  for  one  of  the 
coolies,  dropping  the  shafts,  hurled  himself  unarmed 
on  the  policeman,  and  the  second  coolie  snatched  the 
sword  and  dealt  the  assassin  two  serious  blows  with 
it  while  he  was  still  wrestling  with  the  first  man.  The 
Prince  himself,  blinded  with  the  flow  of  blood,  leapt 
from  the  jinriksha  as  the  shafts  dropped,  and  ran 
forward  towards  the  ones  occupied  by  the  Governor  and 
the  other  Japanese  officials.  In  an  instant  the  Governor 
was  supporting  him,  and  led  him  aside  into  an  open 
shop,  while  the  whole  train  was  thrown  into  the  wildest 
confusion.  Guards  threw  themselves  on  Tsuda  and 
secured  him,  and  Prince  George,  in  intense  anger  and 
excitement,  came  and  struck  him  violently  with  his 

stick.  Monsieur  S jumped  from  his  jinriksha,  and 

flew  past  the  rest  to  where  the  Prince  was  standing 
in  the  little  shop.  He  was  bathed  in  blood,  but  refused 

to  sit  down ; and  when  Monsieur  S in  his  wild 

anxiety  threw  himself  at  his  feet  with  a cry,  the  Prince 
raised  him  quietly  and  said,  Do  not  be  anxious.  Ce 
nest  que  du  sang.  I am  not  really  hurt ! ” 

He  was  very  much  hurt,  poor  young  fellow;  but 
not  dangerously  so,  as  in  the  terror  of  the  moment 
somebody  wired  that  he  was.  They  bound  up  the 
long  cuts  on  his  head,  thanking  Heaven  that  the  hard 
hat  and  the  thick  hair  had  helped  to  turn  the  blow ; 

and  then  they  got  him  back  to  Otsu,  Monsieur  S 

running  by  the  jinriksha,  and  holding  it  on  one  side, 
while  General  Bariatinsky  did  the  same  on  the  other. 
A special  train  brought  him  back  to  Kyoto,  where,  in 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


261 


spite  of  his  calm  cheerful  manner,  he  was  only  too 
glad  to  lie  down  at  last  and  have  his  wounds  properly 
dressed. 

And  Tsuda?  Of  course  after  the  event  there  were 
plenty  of  people  who  were  sure  that  the  man  was  insane, 
that  he  should  never  have  been  chosen  for  the  service 
which  brought  him  into  such  close  contact  with  the 
heir  of  the  Czar.  It  transpired  that  there  had  been 
insanity  in  his  family,  that  one  or  two  of  his  intimates 
had  heard  him  speak  with  fear  of  the  aggressions  of 
Russia,  just  as  a certain  small  class  here  write  and 
speak.  Their  minority"*  makes  them  insignificant ; and 
nobody  has  done  more  than  laugh  when  these  wiseacres 
pretended  to  see  the  visit  of  a spy  in  the  coming  of 
the  Cesarevitch ; when,  in  obscure  newspapers,  they  re- 
minded the  people  of  the  Russian  principles  of  aggres- 
sion; as  shown  by  Russia’s  taking  Saghalien,  which 
was,  after  all,  deliberately  exchanged  for  the  Kurile 
Islands.  Japan  is  rich  in  fanatics.  One  of  the  men 
who  held  these  doctrines  committed  suicide  before  the 
landing  of  the  Prince,  in  order,  as  he  said,  to  be  spared 
the  sight  of  his  country’s  humiliation.  A legend  exists 
to  the  effect  that  the  late  General  Saigo,  the  chief 
leader  of  the  Satsuma  rebellion,  was  not  really  killed, 
but  had  succeeded  in  escaping  to  Russia,  where  he  is 
supposed  to  have  remained  all  these  years,  awaiting 
a favourable  moment  in  order  to  return  to  Japan  and 
once  more  raise  the  standard  of  revolt.  A story  got 
abroad  that  the  Cesarevitch  was  bringing  him  back  in 
his  suite,  and  the  absurd  rumour  caused  a good  deal  of 


262 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


excitement  in  some  districts.  Snch  ideas  had  probably 
preyed  on  Tsuda’s  mind,  apt  to  be  unhinged  because 
of  that  strain  of  madness  in  his  family  which  was 
quite  unknown  to  the  authorities ; and  when  he  was 
named  as  one  of  the  guardians  of  the  road  for  the 
Russian  Prince,  the  insane  resolve  to  make  away  with 
him  probably  formed  itself  in  his  brain.  The  instant 
onslaught  of  the  two  jinriksha  coolies  prevented  him 
from  taking  his  own  life,  which  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  his  next  act. 

But  he  has  brought  profound  sorrow  on  the  whole 
empire.  So  much  was  expected  and  hoped  from  this 
visit,  in  the  way  of  friendship  with  the  great  European 
Powers.  It  was  to  have  been  in  a way  Japan’s  first  step 
in  the  Social  Polity  of  the  world ; and  one  cannot  but 
feel  the  most  profound  sympathy  with  her  in. her  distress. 

Two  hours  after  the  first  news  of  the  attempt  reached 
Tokyo,  a Cabinet  Council  had  been  held,  and  a special 
train  was  starting  for  Kyoto,  carrying  Prince  Kitashira- 
kawa,  with  the  Emperor’s  own  surgeon.  Dr.  Hashimoto, 
and  various  officials  to  the  spot.  An  hour  or  two 
afterwards  another  train  went  down  with  some  of  the 
Ministers,  more  of  the  Court  people,  and  all  the  dis- 
tinguished medical  men  of  the  capital ; and  early  the 
next  morning,  amid  an  outburst  of  public  grief  and 
indignation,  the  Emperor  himself,  with  all  his  staff, 
started  for  Kyoto.  But  before  he  left,  an  Imperial 
Rescript  appeared,  which  told  the  nation  of  what  had 
occurred,  and  of  the  intense  pain  caused  in  the  Emperor’s 
breast  by  the  horrible  deed.  Here  is  the  Rescript : 


LETTERS  FROM  JARAK 


263 


It  is  with  the  most  profound  grief  and  regret 
that,  while  We,  with  Our  Government  and  Our  subjects, 
have  been  preparing  to  welcome  his  Imperial  Highness, 
Our  beloved  and  respected  Crown  Prince  of  Russia,  with 
all  the  honours  and  hospitalities  due  to  Our  national- 
guest.  We  receive  the  most  unexpected  and  surprising 
announcement  that  his  Imperial  Highness  met  with  a 
deplorable  accident  at  Otsu  whilst  on  his  journey.  It 
is  Our  will  that  justice  shall  take  its  speedy  course  on 
the  miscreant  offender,  to  the  end  that  Our  mind  may 
be  relieved,  and  that  Our  friendly  and  intimate  rela- 
tions with  Our  good  neighbour  may  be  secured  against 
disturbance.” 

The  Ministers  paid  a visit  to  the  Russian  Legation 
before  they  left  for  Kyoto  — a visit  in  which  it  was 
intended  at  any  rate  to  convey  the  expression  of  the 
profound  regret  of  the  Government  to  the  Avife  of  the 
Russian  Representative.  It  was  a most  distressing 
ordeal  for  everybody,  the  officials  finding  absolutely  no 
words  sufficient  to  convey  their  dismay  and  sorrow ; 

while  Madame  S , who  is  ahvays  a delightfully 

impetuous  and  impulsive  person,  and  who  was  just 
then  in  a frenzy  of  loyal  indignation,  seems  to  have 
found  no  difficulty  at  all  in  expressing  her  feelings. 

Meanwhile  there  was  one  person  Avho  could  do 
nothing  to  help  the  poor  young  Prince  or  to  punish 
his  assailant ; the  valiant  gentle  Empress  forgot  all 
the  repressions  of  her  up-bringing,  all  the  superb  calm 
Avhich  as  a part  of  her  rank  she  has  shown  in  every 
circumstance  of  her  life,  and  for  the  whole  of  that 


264 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


wretched  night  walked  up  and  down,  up  and  down, 
weeping  her  heart  out  in  a flood-tide  of  grief.  Those 
who  told  me  of  it  said  that  all  night  long  and  for  days 
after  the  Empress  had  but  one  cry ; not  a cry  of  despair 
for  her  country,  humiliated  in  the  eyes  of  the  whole 
world,  condemned  perhaps  to  find  bitter  enemies  where 
she  had  looked  for  friends  — all  that  seems  not  to  have 
touched  her  at  all  at  first ; her  only  thought  was  for 
the  boy  — and  his  mother.  The  poor  mother,  the 
poor  mother ! ” she  wailed.  She  cannot  see  her  boy  ! 
She  will  not  believe  he  is  safe  ! Poor  mother ! How 
can  I comfort  you  ? ” 

That  was  all.  And  she  who  is  supposed  never 
to  change  expression  or  show  the  smallest  weakness 
before  others  walked  up  and  down  her  lovely  rooms 
like  a caged  creature,  with  the  tears  raining  down  her 
face.  Her  ladies  were  terrified  and  overcome ; they 
thought  she  could  not  live  through  such  a storm  of 
grief.  Message  after  message  was  sent  to  the  Czarina, 
assuring  her  of  the  profound  heart-broken  sympathy 
with  which  the  Empress  regarded  her  trouble,  and 
promising  that  the  Cesarevitch  should  be  nursed  and 
tended  as  if  his  mother  were  with  him.  As  soon  as 
she  recovered  from  the  shock  sufficiently  to  travel,  she 
went  to  see  the  wounded  boy,  who  was  deeply  touched 
by  her  sorrow  and  her  kindness. 

He  behaved  all  through  like  a Prince  and  a gentle- 
man. Not  the  slightest  sign  of  rancour  ever  appeared 
in  his  voice  or  manner ; and  when,  at  his  parents’  com- 
mand (it  is  said,  at  his  mother’s  entreaty),  he  gave  up 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


265 


the  rest  of  his  Japanese  tour,  and  was  carried  back 
on  board  his  own  ship  to  be  nursed,  he  softened  the 
act  by  every  kind  word  that  could  possibly  have  been 
used,  thanking  the  Emperor  warmly  for  all  his  kind- 
ness and  saying  how  great  a deprivation  it  was  to 
him  not  to  visit  the  Emperor  in  Tokyo ; because  for 
reasons  of  health,  as  he  was  still  somewhat  weak,  it 
was  considered  wiser  that  he  should  return  to  Russia  at 
once.” 

Mr.  Sannomiya  told  me  that  the  meeting  between 
the  Emperor  and  his  guest  was  affecting  in  the  extreme. 
As  for  poor  Princess  Komatsu,  who  went  to  visit  him, 
she  utterly  broke  down  when  she  saw  the  poor  boy, 
deathly  pale  from  loss  of  blood,  his  head  enveloped  in 
bandages,  and  yet  smiling  at  her  kindly  as  she  entered 
the  room.  - The  lady-in-waiting  thought  the  Princess 
would  faint ; but  she  pulled  herself  together,  and  only 
cried  quietly.  Indeed,  though  perhaps  it  sounds  heart- 
less to  say  so,  I should  think  the  Cesarevitch  (who  has 
had  a good  deal  of  fever)  would  have  got  over  his  acci- 
dent more  quickly  with  fewer  visits  and  less  excitement. 
However,  sympathy  is  a great  thing;  and  this  atrocious 
attempt  has  called  forth  such  overwhelming  expressions 
of  national  sorrow  and  sympathy  that  the  Prince  can 
never  forget  it  as  long  as  he  lives.  And ' as  for  the 
Emperor,  I doubt  if  even  he  knew  what  his  people  felt 
for  him  until  it  w^as  announced  that  the  Emperor 
mourned  — was  in  sorrow  for  his  subject’s  sin  — and 
the  whole  of  the  population  in  all  its  millions  left  its 
work  and  its  pleasures,  deserted  the  farm,  closed  the 


266 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


shop,  turned  from  all  its  recreations  and  amusements 
— to  sorrow  with  him. 

I have  never  seen  anything  like  it,  — and  you  see 
I am  learning  lessons  in  loyalty ! The  theatres  w^ere 
closed,  the  shops  and  markets  abandoned;  everywhere 
people  spoke  in  groups  and  with  profound  sadness  in 


Nobles’  Club  there  was  one  opinion  only  — how  could 
those  at  the  head  of  affairs,  those  who  were  respon- 
sible for  the  Prince’s  safety  in  his  journey,  support  life 
any  longer  ? Why  had  they  not  already  wiped  out  their 
dishonour  with  death  ? There  was  only  one  thing  for 
a gentleman  to  do  in  such  circumstances  — commit  hara- 
kiri  or  some  other  decorous  kind  of  suicide! 

' Among  the  people  the  sorrow  took  two  forms : one, 
the  intense  desire  to  make  reparation  to  the  illustrious 


THE  DAUGHTER  OF  VISCOUNT  AOKI 


their  tones.  The  little 
daughter  of  Viscount  Aoki, 
the  Minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs  (she  is  ten  years 
old),  heard  the  announce- 
ment of  the  outrage  with  a 
stony  face,  and  w^ent  away 
in  silence  to  her  room. 
There,  for  hours,  she  lay  on 
the  floor  in  an  agony  of 
grief  and  shame,  moaning, 
I am  a Japanese  ! I must 
live  with  this  shame ! I 
cannot  — I cannot  1 I can- 
not bear  it  1 ” At  the 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


267 


guest  and  his  family  for  the  insult  and  outrage  which 
he  had  suffered ; the  other  going  deeper  still,  the  yearn- 
ing— no  other  word  quite  expresses  it  — to  lift  some 
of  the  load  of  sorrow  from  the  Emperor’s  heart,  to  do 
something  by  which  the  august  ” would  cease  to  mourn. 

Tenshi  Sama  Go  Shimpai  ” was  the  word  in  every 
mouth  — Great  Augustness,  worshipped  Sorrow  ; ” 
and  rich  and  poor,  old  and  young,  strong  men  and 
little  children,  all  did  what  they  could,  gave  more  than 
they  could,  to  undo  the  wrong. 

People  who  were  on  board  the  Cesarevitch’s  ship 
told  me  that  it  seemed  like  to  sink  with  gifts ; the 
decks,  the  saloons,  the  passages,  were  encumbered,  and 
still  they  came  and  came  and  came ! The  universality 
and  spontaneousness  of  the  manifestation  gave  it  an 
overwhelming  value,  which  the  Prince  here  and  his 
parents  at  home  were  quick  to  appreciate.  Rich  people 
gave  out  of  their  riches,  and  objects  of  unexampled 
beauty  and  rarity  were  brought  out  from  the  treasure- 
houses  and  sent  with  messages  of  love  and  respect  to 
the  boy  who  lay  healing  of  his  wound  in  Kobe  Harbour. 
The  poor  sent  the  most  touching  gifts  — the  rice  and 
shoyu^  the  fish  and  barley-flour,  which  would  have  fed 
the  little  family  for  a year ; poor  old  peasants  walked 
for  days  so  as  to  bring  a tiny  offering  of  eggs.  The 
merchants  sent  silks  and  porcelain,  lacquer  and  bronze 
crapes  and  ivory,  according  to  their  merchandise ; tele- 
grams poured  in,  expressing  intense  sympathy,  and 
more  intense  indignation  at  the  outrage.  In  the  first 
twenty-four  hours  after  the  occurrence,  so  many  thou- 


268 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


sands  of  these  were  sent  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  deliver  them;  twenty  thousand  persons  called  during 


the  outlay  telegraphed  messages  of  sympathy  to  the 
Czar  and  Czarina  in  St.  Petersburg,  and  always  added 
a protest  of  horror  at  the  wicked  deed. 

The  perpetrator  of  it  is  not  yet  judged,  and  some 
care  has  been  necessary  to  keep  him  from  being  torn 
to  pieces  by  his  indignant  countrymen,  who  are  ready 
to  eat  him,”  as  the  saying  is  here.  The  newspapers 
vie  with  one  another  in  condemning  the  criminal,  who, 
after  all,  seems  to  have  been  a common  madman,  all 
the  more  dangerous  from  having  earned  the  confidence 
of  his  superiors. 

Rather  an  amusing  story  is  told  here. 

The  Emperor,  it  seems,  sent  word  to  the  judges 


the  first  two  days 
at  the  hotel  in 
Kyoto  where  the 
Prince  lay  before 
he  was  removed  to 
his  vessel ; every 
corporation  and 
community,  town 
and  village  and 
guild  sent  either  a 
deputation  to  carry 
its  condolences  or 


A BRONZE  INCENSE-BURNER 


a letter  to  express 
them ; and  many 
wdio  could  ill  afford 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


269 


that  the  wretched  Tsuda  must  be  executed  at  once ; 
the  judges  replied,  ‘‘  Your  Imperial  Majesty  may  re- 
member that  you  have  graciously  granted  a Constitu- 
tion, in  which  it  is  promised  that  criminals  shall  only 
be  judged  and  condemned  according  to  the  laws  which 
have  now  been  promulgated ; in  those  laws  such  a case 
as  this  was  not  foreseen,  and  therefore  we  can  only 
award  to  this  man  the  punishment  incurred  by  one  who 
assaults  and  wounds  any  other  person  of  any  class  what- 
ever. We  regret  that  we  cannot  carry  out  your  Im- 
perial Majesty’s  wishes.  Tsuda  Sanzo  will  undergo  a 
term  of  imprisonment.” 

Tsuda  Sanzo  will  be  executed,”  the  indignant 
Emperor  replied.  Let  it  be  seen  to  at  once.” 

^^Then,”  said  the  courageous  judges,  ^^your  Imperial 
Majesty  will  dispense  with  our  poor  services,  and  find 
some  one  to 
carry  out  your 
august  com- 
mands who  has 
not  taken  the 
oath  to  admin- 
ister the  laws 
according  to  the 
Constitution.” 

But  the  Em- 
peror was  too 

upright  not  to  INCKNSE-BURNER  in  the  share  or  a junk 


see  that  they  were  in  the  right,  and  it  is  said  that  he 
was  pleased  with  their  justice  and  courage.  Tsuda  is 


270 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


undergoing  a term  of  imprisonment  — I think  ten 
years  is  the  time  mentioned ; but  I am  sure  that  if 
he  ever  comes  out  alive,  he  will  have  to  change  his 
name. 

The  two  coolies  who  undoubtedly  saved  the  life  of 
the  Cesarevitch  have  been  magnificently  rewarded  by 
the  Russian  Government.  They  are  young,  good-look- 
ing fellows,  who,  from  being  members  of  the  poorest 
class  of  Japanese  subjects,  have  suddenly  become  rich 
men,  with  decorations  and  reputations  of  which  the 
Japanese  think  even  more  than  of  money.  Their  own 
Government  awarded  them  each  a medal,  and  a little 
pension  of  thirty-six  dollars  a year  for  the  rest  of 
their  lives  — a sum  quite  enough  to  keep  them  from 
want,  living  as  they  would  with  the  ingenious  frugality 
of  their  race.  But  the  Russian  Government  has  done 
things  very  magnificently.  Each  man  has  been  awarded 
a thousand  dollars  a year  for  life ; the  Cesarevitch 
himself  has  presented  each  of  them  with  a sum  of 
two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  and  a Russian  deco- 
ration has  been  added  to  the  Japanese  one.  The  two 
heroes,  it  is  said,  were  completely  stunned  with  this 
munificence.  The  sailors  of  the  Prince’s  vessel  made 
a tremendous  feast  for  them  on  the  day  when  they 
came  on  board  to  receive  their  reward ; and  I hear 
that  they  have  gone  back  to  their  homes  in  a distant 
province  to  buy  rich  farms  and  live  at  ease,  doubtless 
to  marry  the  girls  of  their  hearts,  and  to  tell  the  tale 
of  their  courage  and  good  luck  to  the  third  and  fourth 
generation. 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


271 


But  the  last  note  is  a sad  one.  It  is  impossible 
not  to  be  sorry  for  the  Governor  of  the  Province  and 
the  Chief  of  Police,  who  were  held  responsible  for  the 
outrage,  and  who  really  and  truly  had  done  all  that  it 
was  possible  to  do  to  ensure  the  Prince’s  safety.  They 
have  both  been  dismissed,  one  degraded  as  well.  In 
spite  of  all  messages  of  forgiveness  (and  the  Russians 
have  been  very  generous),  a most  painful  feeling 
remains,  and  painful  memories  must  be  carried  for 
many  years.  The  sovereigns  and  their  people  mourn 
together  for  the  wicked  madness  of  one  man. 

A little  samurai  girl,  a mere  child  of  sixteen,  I 
think,  was  in  service  near  Yokohama.  She  travelled 
to  Kyoto,  dressed  herself  in  her  holiday  robes,  com- 
posed her  poor  little  body  for  de4th  by  tying  her  sash 
tightly  round  her  knees  after  the  custom  of  samurai 
women,  and  cut  her  throat  in  the  doorway  of  the 
great  Government  offices.  They  found  on  her  two  let- 
ters : one  a farewell  to  her  family ; the  other  contain- 
ing a message,  which  she  begged  those  who  found  her 
to  convey  to  the  Emperor,  saying  that  she  gave  her 
life  gladly,  hoping  that  though  so  lowly  it  might  wipe 
out  the  insult,  and  she  entreated  him  to  be  comforted 
by  her  death.  Her  name,  they  say,  was  Yuko,  which 
means  full  of  valour. 


CHAPTER  XXXY 


THE  COTTAGE  AT  HORIUCHI.  — THE  DEAR  DEAD. GIFTS 

FOR  THE  SPIRITS.  — THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  SEA. 

FISHING  IN  THE  EMPRESS’s  SEA  GARDEN 


Y third  summer  in  Japan  is  well  on  its  way.  I 


shall  not  see  a fourth  — in  succession^  at  any 
rate ; for  we  go  home  on  leave  next  year.  Europe 
draws  one  back  with  a thousand  cords ; but  even  there 
I shall  regret  the  little  Palace  of  Peace  among  the 
Karuizawa  pines.  Before  transporting  the  family  to 
those  heights,  I have  been  taking  a long  holiday  by 
the  sea  at  Horiuchi,  a place  about  an  hour’s  drive  from 
Kamakura;  Dr.  Baelz  has  a Japanese  cottage  there,  and 
kindly  lent  it  to  me  for  the  time.  Our  station  was 
Dzushi,  and  there  I alighted  one  warm  afternoon  with 
one  friend,  one  interpreter,  and  Rinzo,  Matsu,  and  our 
Big  Cook  San,”  the  gentleman  who  tumbled  through 
the  bridge  last  summer.  The  poor  fellow  has  been  suf- 
fering from  bad  lungs  ever  since  the  influenza  epidemic, 
and  I thought  a change  would  do  him  good.  I only 
mention  him  because  when  they  all  turned  out  of  the 
train  I was  so  amused  by  the  mass  of  baggage  he  had 
brought.  Evidently  the  rumour  had  gone  abroad  that 


July,  1891. 


272 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


273 


Horiuchi  was  a place  quite  in  the  wilds,  and  that  all 
our  comfort  there  would  depend  on  what  we  brought 
with  us.  Big  Cook  San  descended  to  the  platform, 
jingling  like  a gypsy  tinker  with  all  the  sauce-pans 
that  he  had  hung  round  himself  at  the  last  moment. 
An  omelet-pan  and  a bain-marie,  miraculously  tied  to- 
gether, hung  over  his  shoulder ; a potato-steamer  from 
his  waist ; in  one  hand  he  carried  a large  blue  teapot, 
and  in  the  other  a sheaf  of  gorgeous  irises,  carefully 
tied  up  in  matting,  for  fear  that  there  should  be  no 
flowers  at  Horiuchi ! A whole  vanload  of  goods  had 
preceded  us,  so  these  were  after-thoughts,  trifles  gath- 
ered up  at  the  last  moment.  We  let  the  servants  and 
baggage  start  before  us  from  the  (station,  and  followed 
in  a leisurely  fashion,  stopping  our  jinrikshas  every 
now  and  then  to  admire  the  lovely  glimpses  down 
green  gorges,  through  which  the  road  winds  and  turns 
again  and  again  before  it  comes  out  on  the  beach  near 
Horiuchi.  This  is  a tiny  village,  built  in  the  round  of 
a bay  within  Odawara  Bay.  The  hamlet  is  as  poor  as 
possible ; but  the  air  is  so  pure  that  people  have  been 
tempted  to  build  a few  villas  there  for  villeggiatura. 
The  Italian  Minister  has  a gorgeous  one  on  the  ground 
that  rises  from  the  beach  ; but  it  does  not  compare  with 
the  doctor’s  cottage  for  beauty  of  situation.  This  is 
planted  so  that  when  one  enters  the  front  door  one 
looks  right  through  the  house,  and  the  most  beautiful 
picture  of  Fuji  across  the  bay  is  seen  framed  in  by  the 
pillars  of  the  verandah ; and  when  one  comes,  as  in 
duty  bound,  to  stand  beside  the  pillars  and  salute  the 


VOL.  II 


T 


274 


LETTERS  FROM  JARAK 


queen  of  mountains,  the  sea  is  almost  rolling  to  one’s 
feet,  just  stopped  by  a low  stone  wall  and  a green  dune, 
planted  with  pines  that  sing  night  and  day  as  the  salt 
breeze  rustles  in  from  the  sea. 

There  are  but  six  rooms  in  the  house,  all  floored 
with  sweet-smelling  mats  the  colour  of  wheat ; the  bath- 
room is  of  clean  polished  woods,  and  the  great  tank  in 
the  floor  is  always  bubbling  with  oceans  of  hot  water. 


BY  THE  SUMMER  SEA 

where  one  washes  all  fatigue  away  in  these  warm  days. 
As  the  house  was  meant  merely  for  a bachelor’s  bunga- 
low, it  contains  one  jug  and  basin,  which  are  kept  on 
a shelf  in  the  bathroom,  where  we  went  in  and  used 
them  by  turns.  At  our  first  lunch  we  discovered  that, 
although  the  table  was  gorgeous  with  Cook  San’s  irises, 
nobody  had  thought  of  knives  and  forks ; two  sets 
were  found  in  a luncheon  basket ; and  then  a runner 
was  despatched  over  the  hills  to  borrow  some  from  the 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


275 


hotel  at  Kamakura.  But  I did  not  mind  at  all.  The 
irises  were  far  better  than  knives  and  forks ; and  with 
the  sight  of  the  sea  rolling  in  so  close  in  crisp  wavelets, 
the  music  that  sea  and  pines  made  together,  and  above 
all,  that  vision  of  Fuji  San  and  the  Hakone  Mountains 
across  the  blue  spread  of  the  bay,  one  felt  ashamed  of 
needing  food  at  all.  All  the  first  day  the  beloved  Fuji 
seemed  to  be  gazing  at  us,  making  us  feel  small,  but 
very  happy.  This  morning  a little  good-natured  gale 
has  been  tossing  the  trees  about,  and  the  sacred  moun- 
tain has  wrapped  herself  in  clouds.  I suppose  I have 
said  it  again  and  again ; but  I feel  impelled  to  say  it 
once  more,  — in  Japan  one  cannot  think  of  Fuji  as  a 
thing,  a mere  object  in  the  landscape ; she  becomes 
something  personal,  dominating,  a factor  in  life.  No 
day  seems  quite  sad  or  aimless  in  which  one  has  had 
a glimpse  of  her. 

Last  night  her  black  shadow  looked  intensely  solemn, 
with  the  stars  above,  and  hundreds  of  torches  in  the 
fishing-boats  fioating  on  the  sea  beneath.  I asked  to- 
day why  the  sea  was  so  full  of  stars  last  night  — I had 
never  noticed  it  at  other  times,  but  only  in  these  July 
days.  And  then  I was  told  the  story  of  the  Festival  of 
the  Dead,  which  I had  heard  spoken  of  in  Tokyo  in  a 
scornful,  superficial  way,  but  which  I hear  is  kept  re- 
ligiously in  the  provinces  still. 

The  dear  dead ! Little  children  and  old  people,  and 
all  the  souls  that  pass  out  of  earth’s  family  day  by  day, 
disrobed  of  their  fair  garment  of  the  fiesh,  they  love 
not  the  short  winter  days  or  the  long  dark  winter  nights ; 


276 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


but  when  summer  broods  over  the  land,  when  the  night 
is  welcome  because  it  brings  a breath  of  coolness  to 
those  whose  work  is  not  yet  over,  then  they,  who  have 
laid  by  the  wholesome  tasks  of  earth,  come  back,  in 
shadowy  myriads,  to  visit  their  old  homes ; to  hover 
round  those  who  still  love  and  remember  them ; to  smile, 
if  ghosts  can  smile,  at  the  food  and  money,  clothing  and 
sandals,  and  little  ships  for  travelling,  all  made  ready 
by  the  loving  souls  to  whom  only  such  earthly  needs 
are  comprehensible,  but  who,  in  preparing  their  humble 
gifts,  are  investing  them  with  the  only  present  the 
spirits  may  take  home  again  — the  gift  of  love,  which 
never  forgets,  or  disbelieves,  or  despairs. 

Just  for  these  three  days  of  July — the  13th,  14th, 
and  loth  — heart-broken  mothers  feel  the  little  lost 
son  or  daughter  close  at  hand,  brought  back  perhaps 
by  Jizo  Sama,  the  god  who  watches  over  the  spirits 
of  little  children.  The  lights  are  lit  before  the  small 
ihai,  the  death  tablet,  set  up  in  the  place  of  honour, 
and  inscribed  with  a name  that  the  little  one  would 
not  have  turned  from  his  play  for  here,  that  never 
passed  his  mother’s  lips  till  he  was  carried  away  from 
her  — his  dead  name,  the  one  by  which  his  shadowy 
companions  call  him  in  the  yonder  world.  Full  of 
comfort  must  these  three  days  be  for  the  faithful  souls 
who  are  always  yearning  to  offer  some  service  or  some 
token  of  love  to  the  dead.  Now  they  come  back ; and 
though  no  one  sees  them,  they  take  their  old  places 
in  their  old  homes.  They  find  the  house  decked  and 
garnished  for  their  coming;  the  holy  lotus  flower,  never 


GREETING 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


279 


used  save  for  their  honour,  is  gathered  and  set  by  their 
shrine ; and  many  another  lovely  plant  and  sprig,  all 
with  symbolical  meanings,  are  brought  in.  Eice  and 
vegetables,  fruit  and  cakes,  are  placed  for  them ; no 
animal  food  is  offered,  as  pure  spirits  would  consider 
that  a sinful  nourishment,  but  tea  is  poured  out  with 
punctilious  ceremony  in  tiny  cups  at  stated  hours.  In 
some  towns  there  is  a market  or  fair  held  expressly 
that  people  may  buy  all  they  need  for  the  entertainment 
of  the  ghosts.  As  these  always  come  from  the  sea, 
torches  are  stuck  in  the  sands  to  show  them  where  to 
land ; and  when  the  three  days  are  ended,  and  the 
travellers  must  go  back,  reluctantly,  to  their  shadow 
homes,  then  tiny  ships  are  launched  — straw  ships  of 
lovely  and  elaborate  designs,  freighted  with  dainty  foods, 
and  lighted  by  small  lanterns.  Incense,  too,  is  burning 
before  they  set  forth;  and  then  they  go,  by  river  or 
stream  if  the  sea  is  distant,  with  their  little  cargo  of 
love-gifts  visible,  and  their  spirit-travellers  invisible, 
back  to  their  joy  or  their  sorrow  in  the  underworld.^ 

The  Japanese  remind  one  of  sweet,  wise  children, 
whose  play  will  always  be  an  imitation,  a childish  ren- 
dering, of  some  great  truth  — overlooked,  as  often  as 
not,  by  their  elders  in  the  rush  and  bustle  of  life. 

I have  been  boating  in  the  little  Horiuchr  Bay,  and 
have  gazed  down  for  hours  into  the  depths  below  through 
a glass-bottomed  box  let  doAvn  over  the  side  of  the  boat. 
It  is  a perfectly  simple  contrivance : the  glass  rests  on 

^ See  Lafcadio  Hearn’s  beautiful  and  complete  description  of  the 
Festival  of  the  Dead  in  Glimpses  of  Unfamiliar  Japan  (1894).  • 


280 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


or  just  under  the  water,  and  the  wooden  sides  shut  out 
all  reflection;  a series  of  small  holes  allow  any  water 
that  splashes  over  the  glass  to  run  oh,  — one  looks 
through  it,  — and  suddenly  one  seems  to  be  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea.  Great  fish  and  little  fish  go  darting 
in  and  out  among  the  wet,  sun-touched  forests  of  the 
ocean  bed ; the  rocks  are  shining  palaces,  guarded  by 
fierce  red  starfish,  who  crawl  slowly  backwards  and  for- 
wards on  their  beat.  The  shells  open  and  close,  and 


GKEAT  FISH  AND  LITTLE  FISH 


swim  about  full  of  the  strange  soul-bodies  which  are 
their  only  life ; there  is  colour,  movement,  expression ; 
continents  of  clean  silver  sand,  bordered  by  little  reaches 
of  golden  woodland  waving  lazily  on  the  water  as  our 
tree  boughs  wave  in  the  wind ; the  fish  have  physiog- 
nomies, and  meet,  and  fight,  and  bend,  and  dart  away, 
all  with  their  own  little  life  to  see  to,  their  own  ex- 
tremely important  affairs  to  conduct.  And  the  sun 
laughs  down  through  the  moving  liquid  sheen,  and 
makes  many  a pool  of  radiance  in  the  quiet  spots,  and 
flings  on  the  sand  whole  networks  of  living  light  that 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


281 


recall  the  flashing  mail  of  the  goldfish^  or  the  pattern 
that  wind  and  sunshine  will  ripple  into  the  corn,  or  the 
gleam  that  the  warmth  of  aeons  has  flushed  into  ala- 
baster, where  milk  and  honey  made  marble  still  let  the 
light  shine  through.  Ah ! these  are  all  the  vintages  of 
the  wine  and  the  warmth  of  life ; whatever  the  shape 
they  take,  the  source  of  their  beauty  is  one,  — and  would 
I could  know  its  name ! 

And  all  through  a pane  of  glass  and  a bit  of 
wood  ? Ah ! well,  a less  thing  than  that  may  open  a 
world  to  our  eyes.  The  glass  makes  the  surface  calm, 
the  wood  shuts  out  the  misleading  reflections  of  other 
things.  It  would  be  good  to  apply  it  to  life  some- 
times, I think. 

All  my  peace  took  wings  at  the  sight  of  a telegram 
calling  me  back  to  Tokyo  long  before  I was  ready  to 
go.  Very  cross,  indeed,  I was  to  leave  the  cottage  in 
the  bay;  and  my  temper  was  not  improved  when  I 
found  that  the  summons  meant  an  unqualified  series 
of  official  corvees.  Some  people  who  had  a right  to 
ask  it,  wanted  to  be  presented  to  the  Emperor  and 
Empress,  who,  alas ! are  in  anything  but  a gay  mood 
just  now;  but  they  were  kind  and  good-natured,  and 
so  were  the  Princes ; and  my  philosophy,  which  had 
suffered  greatly  at  being  recalled  to  Tokyo  and  audi- 
ences, was  made  quite  serviceable  again  by  finding  one 
of  the  dearest  of  old  friends  waiting  for  me  in  town, 
whose  coming  I would  not  have  missed  for  worlds. 
We  talked  of  nothing  but  Eome  and  Villa  Doria 
anemones  and  old  friends  for  days,  and  took  a deep 


282 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


draught  of  the  wine  of  pleasant  memories  laid  by  in  the 
Koman  summers  of  our  youth. 

There  was  one  bit  of  that  week  in  Tokyo  which 
will  be  added  to  the  store  of  my  memory  picture 
gallery.  A lunch  was  given  for  our  distinguished 
visitors  in  that  Palace  by  the  sea  where  three  months 
ago  the  Empress’s  cherry-blossom  fete  took  place.  It 
is  called  a Palace ; but  it  consists  mostly  of  a series 
of  pavilions,  lovely  little  Japanese  buildings  open  to 
the  view,  and  having  hardly  any  decorations  except 
the  exquisite  quality  and  colour  of  the  woods  used, 
and  the  perfect  taste  which  makes  them  seem  as  much 
a part  of  the  scenery  as  the  fairy  islands  on  which 
they  stand  or  the  blue  water  lapping  round  their 

steps.  For  in  this  dream  garden  (forgive  me,  if  I told 
you  of  this  before !)  the  real  salt  sea  is  everywhere, 
running  its  tides  in  and  out  of  tiny  lakes  and  wind- 
ing canals,  spanned  by  red  bridges,  delicate  as  if  built 
with  the  slats  of  carved  fans.  The  great  sea  fish 

come  swimming  in,  and  a number  of  fishermen  had 
been  brought  with  their  boats  that  we  might  see  the 
fishing  with  the  circular  net,  which  is  an  old  Japanese 
amusement. 

The  boat  is  low  and  slender,  and  one  man  sits  in 
the  stern  with  a long  single  oar  rather  like  the  one 
used  by  the  gondoliers  in  Venice.  He  pushes  hither 
and  thither  till  the  spot  seems  promising  for  a throw. 
The  fisherman  his  companion  stands  on  the  prow, 

which  rises  a good  deal  at  the  point.  I do  not  know 
whether  these  were  picked  men,  but  I never  saw 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


283 


straighter  or  goodlier 
lads  than  these  fisher- 
boys.  Their  firm  brown 
limbs  looked  as  hard  as 
bronze  ; their  bright  eyes 
and  set  resolute  faces 
showed  the  resource  and 
courage  that  come  of 
long  training  in  a diffi- 
cult art.  The  pose  of 
the  one  who  was  wait- 
ing to  throw  the  net  was 
the  most  perfect  expres- 
sion of  strength  in  rest, 
but  ready  for  the  hunt- 
er’s spring.  As  they 
floated  across  the  lake, 
whose  water  was  ruffled 
by  a coming  storm,  I 
longed  for  an  artist  to  be 


at  hand,  and  make  the  ^ 

. . ill  IT  A SHOAL  OF  FISH 

picture  one  that  would 

keep  for  ever.  Do  you  know  that  lurid  light  which 
comes  before  a storm,  when  all  the  sky  goes  black  as 
ink,  but  from  some  sharp  rift  an  angry  shaft  pours 
down  and  seems  to  be  absorbed  by  the  greens  of  the 
trees  and  grass,  until  they  positively  glow  as  if  with 
some  indwelling  radiance  of  their  own  ? So  it  was 
that  day  in  the  Hama  Rikkyu  sea  garden.  The  black 
of  the  sky,  the  gold  greens  of  the  foliage,  the  red  of 


284 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


the  bridges,  and  the  storm  light  on  the  water  made  a 
harmony  almost  too  vivid  to  be  borne ; and  on  that 
background  floated  the  slim  boat,  twisting  and  turning 
like  a water  snake,  while  the  boy  standing  high  on 

her  prow  gathered  the  black  coils  of  his  net  under 

one  bare  arm,  poised  his  body  in  a bold  curve  far 

over  the  point,  and  with  a sudden  movement  flung  the 
net  with  a rushing  noise  out  on  the  water,  where  it 
lay,  a perfect  round,  for  a few  minutes,  before  it  began 
to  sink  in  search  of  its  prey.  Then  slowly  and  very 
gently  it  was  drawn  back  by  a length  of  rope  to  the 
hand  that  had  thrown  it ; the  thrower  sprang  down 
from  his  point  of  vantage,  and  sat  in  the  boat,  draw- 
ing in  fold  after  fold  of  the  fine  black  mesh,  and 

taking  from  its  snares  great  fighting  fish  whose  scales 
gleamed  unbearably  bright  as  they  turned  and  leapt  in 
their  furious  struggle  for  life  under  the  dun  glare  of 
the  coming  storm. 

Then  I looked  up,  and  outside  our  green  embank- 
ments a great  square  sail,  blown  out  with  the  strong 
south  wind,  went  hurrying  up  the  bay  before  the  storm, 
as  sublimely  indifferent  to  Empress’s  gardens  as  its 
white  companions  the  sea-gulls,  who  flew  backwards 
and  forwards  from  the  free  sea  outside  to  the  captive 
lagoons  within,  shrieking  news  to  each  other  about 
the  storm. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


KARUIZAWA  AGAIN.  — FURIHATA  IS  EESTOKED  TO  US.  — 
OUK  OWN  VOLCANO. — THE  MOUNTAIN’S  OUTER  COURT. 
— THE  IRIYAMA  TOGE  AND  THE  CATHEDRAL  ROCKS. — 
SUNSET  LILIES.  — A FORGOTTEN  MONASTERY  AND  A 
DYING  MAN 


UR  Palace  of  Peace  seems  even  cooler  and  greener 


than  last  year,  and  has  already  some  of  the 
atmosphere  of  home  about  it.  It  is  a very  wet  home 
to-day ; this  is  supposed  to  be  the  last  day  of  the 
rainy  season,  and  our  world  of  woods  and  hills  is 
drinking  in  the  gracious  flood,  and  promising,  to  the 
ears  that  can  hear,  a rich  harvest  of  wild  flowers  and 
woodsy  shadiness  and  emerald  turf  to  make  up  for 
these  grey  wet  hours,  which,  by  the  way,  we  are  all 
enjoying  after  our  own  fashion.  The  Chief  is  writing, 
as  usual ; it  is  now  past  five  o’clock,  and  ever  since 
nine  or  thereabouts  this  morning  the  sounds  of 
dictionary  work  have  reached  me  from  the  other  side 

of  the  wooden  house,  where  Mr.  G and  his  writer 

Okanioto  San  discuss  and  disagree  over  the  possible 
and  impossible  meaning  of  all  the  Chinese  words  in 
the  language.  The  third  volume  of  the  precious 
dictionary  must  have  grown  as  much  as  the  grass  and 
the  trees  during  this  long  day  of  rain.  The  very  dogs 
are  subdued  and  quiet,  lying  recklessly  where  people 


Karuizawa,  August,  1891. 


285 


286 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


are  sure  to  walk  over  them,  gazing  out  with  the  calm- 
ness of  despair,  knowing  that  no  human  being  in  his 
senses  would  take  down  hat  and  stick  to  give  them  a 
run  across  country  to-day.  One  beautiful  Gordon  setter, 
eldest  son  of  Floppy  Flo  (a  British  subject,  who  came 
to  us  oft*  a kind  of  pirate  sealer,  where  several  murders 
had  been  committed,  and  whose  captain,  when  sent  to 
prison,  made  the  most  careful  arrangements  for  his 
dog’s  welfare),  began  to  weep  pitifully  the  first  time  he 
woke  up,  in  the  cold  dawn  of  the  hills,  far  from  his 
mother  and  his  sister  Sodeska,  who  were  left  in  town. 
The  rain  was  blowing  into  his  kennel ; and  I crept 
down  in  the  grey  of  the  morning  to  comfort  him,  and 

found  the  faithful  D there  before  me.  It  seems 

he  had  been  very  cross  with  the  noisy  puppy  till  the 
nature  of  the  trouble  was  made  clear ; and  all  day  long 
he  was  reproaching  himself  and  making  excuses  for 
poor  baby  Gordon,  whom  he  treats  exactly  as  if  he  was 
a two-legged  baby  instead  of  a four-footed  one. 

Another  faithful  person  is  once  more  with  us,  to 
my  great  joy,  and  that  is  Furihata,  the  good  policeman. 
We  have  not  been  without  news  of  this  hero  since  we 

parted ; for  at  the  New  Year  H sent  him  a little 

present,  which  was  acknowledged  in  English  as  follows : 

To  Hox.  Eraser. 

^‘Dear  Sir,  — Accept  my  best  Thanks  for  Your  very  kind 
present  as  it  New  Year’s  compliment.  That  is  valuable  in  itself ; 
but  I shall  doubly  esteem  it  as  a gift  from  You. 

“Yours  very  truly, 

“E.  Furihata. 

“416,  Nagano  Streets,  Nagano  Ken.” 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


287 


On  reading  this,  I felt  sure  that  Furihata  had  made 
great  progress  in  English ; and  as  we  must  have  an 
escort  in  these  solitudes,  asked  before  leaving  town 
to  have  him  awarded  to  us  again.  I was  rather  dis- 
appointed to  be  told  that,  much  to  the  regret  of  the 
Foreign  Office,  my  request  could  not  be  granted,  as 
the  man  had  left  the  service.  On  inquiring  what  had 
become  of  him,  we  learnt  that  he  had  got  tired  of 
wielding  the  strong  arm  of  the  law,  and  had  taken  a 
place  as  railway  porter  at  Shin  Karuizawa  Station, 
about  half  an  hour  from  here.  Then  I thought  no 
more  about  the  matter  until  the  day  I came  here.  Our 
journey  was,  as  usual,  extremely  sensational.  Train, 
jinriksha,  sedan-chair,  and  shanks’ s mare  ” — as  our 
old  nurse  used  to  call  going  on  foot — were  all  tried 
by  different  members  of  the  party,  not  to  mention  the 
jumping  matchbox  called  a tram-car,  which  nothing 
would  induce  me  to  enter,  although  I consented  to  let 
it  carry  my  precious  luggage.  There  was  so  much  of 
this  that  it  filled  the  whole  car,  the  only  one  to  be 
had,  leaving  just  room  for  one  boy,”  an  inexperienced 
creature,  who  jumped  in  with  the  courage  born  of 
ignorance.  He  was  left  in  town  last  year,  and  knew 
not  the  horrors  of  that  winding,  precipitous  mountain 
road,  about  three  feet  deep  in  black  mud.  The  servants 
who  had  tried  it  last  year  turned  from  it  like  one  man, 
preferring  a four-hours’  walk  up  the  steepest  paths  of 
the  mountains  to  a repetition  of  their  previous  sufferings. 

It  was  early  in  the  afternoon  when  we  finally 
started  from  Yokukawa  to  make  the  ascent.  Only 


288 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


three  jinrikshas  could  be  found  in  the  whole  town ; 
my  own  chair  had  been  brought  from  Tokyo ; and 
after  great  efcrts  a kago,  or  basket-litter,  was  got 
from  another  village  with  two  coolies  for  my  little 
amah.  It  was  about  as  big  as  a good-sized  workbox; 
but  she  packed  herself  into  it  with  great  ingenuity, 
and  smiled,  as  she  always  does  at  everything,  from 
presents  to  scoldings.  Most  of  the  dogs  had  gone  on 

already  with  Mr.  G ; so  we  had  only  Tip,  the  Brown 

Ambassador,  and  the  elephantine  Gordon,  who  had  cried 
aloud  all  the  way  from  Tokyo.  Even  the  experienced 
Tip  had  been  very  unhappy  in  the  train ; and  now 
they  both  trotted  delightedly  through  the  mud  and 
wet  grass  for  two  or  three  miles,  and  then  politely  but 
firmly  asked  to  be  taken  up.  We  had  not  yet  parted 
company  with  the  jinrikshas ; so  Gordon  was  solemnly 
installed  with  the  Chief,  and  Tip  got  on  the  little  foot- 
board of  my  chair,  standing  well  over  the  edge,  as 
dogs  always  will  do,  and  sniffing  excitedly  at  the  wet 
mountain  breeze,  which  doubtless  brought  him  news  of 
pheasants  and  rabbits.  Once  he  lurched,  flopped  hope- 
lessly over  the  edge,  and  hung  in  his  leash  for  a sec- 
ond, till  I pulled  him  up  again,  a sadder  and  a wiser 
dog. 

As  we  mounted  higher  and  higher  among  the 
lonely  hills,  a fine  wet  mist  came  down,  wrapping  us 
round  like  a veil,  and  making  the  figures  at  the  head 
of  the  procession  look  huge  and  indistinct  to  those  at 
the  end.  The  mountain  shrubs  and  all  the  nameless 
flowers  gave  out  their  bitter-sweet  perfume  ; and  many 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


289 


a wet  branch  shook  its  rain  of  cold  drops  on  my  neck, 
as  I passed  rustling  through  the  leaves,  borne  high 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  men.  At  last  the  point  came 
where  things  on  wheels  must  part  from  things  on  feet; 
the  Chief  took  the  rikslia  road,  and  I and  the  kago 
and  the  walkers  began  to  climb  the  other.  The  walk- 
ers included,  of  course,  Rinzo,  O’Matsu’ s husband,  who 
considers  himself  entitled  to  go  with  me  on  all  the  ex- 
peditions ; Small  Cook  San,”  an  absurd  fat  boy,  very 
proud  of  his  European  clothes  (his  commander,  Big 
Cook  San,”  who  is  about  half  his  size,  had  gone  on 
before) ; and,  bringing  up  the  rear,  Kane,  the  artistic 
pantry-boy,  who  spends  his  time  in  worshipping  my 

English  housekeeper,  Mrs.  D , for  whose  benefit  he 

makes  the  most  wonderful  Japanese  landscapes  in  wash- 
tubs  or  old  boxes,  with  bridges  and  waterfalls,  and  lit- 
tle men  and  women,  miniature  lanterns  and  goldfish, 
and  pine  trees  three  inches  high  — perfect  curiosities  of 
imagination  and  dainty  handiwork.  His  bit  of  a room 
is  always  a study  of  art-arrangement,  his  hanging  pic- 
tures and  ornaments  all  in  exactly  the  right  places. 
He  is  quite  the  tallest  man  in  the  servants’  quarters, 
and  had  caused  me  nearly  to  choke  with  laughter  that 
morning  when  he  appeared  at  the  station  got  up  in  a 
military  suit  of  dazzling  white,  frogs  and  buttons  com- 
plete, and  crowned  by  an  enormous  pith  helmet.  The 
whole  costume  was  so  carefully  copied  from  that  of 
our  Government  official.  Inspector  Peter  Peacock,  that 
I thought  for  a moment  it  was  he  as  I saw  him  pass 
in  the  distance. 


VOL.  II 


U 


290 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Kane  looked  quite  as  neat  and  dazzling,  after  liis 
long  tramp  up  the  wet  mountain  paths ; every  time 
that  I turned  my  head  to  see  how  my  poor  retainers 
were  getting  on,  a succession  of  beaming  smiles  met 
my  gaze,  one  behind  the  other,  fading  away  into  the 
enwrapping  mist,  like  that  of  the  immortal  Cheshire 
cat.  The  top  of  the  pass  was  nearly  reached,  and  I, 
looking  before  me,  had  forgotten  my  companions,  and 
had  been  enjoying  the  divine  misty  solitudes  for  two 
hours  or  more,  when,  a few  yards  higher  up  the  steep 
path,  a sudden  frantic  commotion  of  wagging  tails  be- 
came visible,  followed  by  an  outline  in  the  grey  haze 

that  soon  resolved  itself  into  Mr.  G , surrounded  by 

all  the  dogs.  In  two  seconds  more  the  columns  were, 
as  war  correspondents  say,  involved  in  inextricable  con- 
fusion. Three  dachses,  two  setters,  and  the  old  pointer 
Bess  were  jumping  over  me  and  each  other  in  the 
wildest  transports  of  joy.  When  the  dogs  subsided  a 
little,  I had  a chance  to  notice  another  spectre  in  the 
mist,  an  official  spectre,  standing  at  attention  in  a 
policeman’s  uniform.  Furihata  ? ” Not  yet,”  said 

Mr.  G . ^^This  is  the  inspector  of  the  district;  but 

you  will  find  Furihata  at  the  house.  On  hearing  of 
your  wish  to  see  him  again,  a paternal  Government 
ordered  him  to  give  up  portering  and  return  to  the 
service  of  his  country.  Of  course  he  obeyed,  and  you 
will  have  him  all  summer ! ” 

And  so  it  was.  When  I came  within  sight  of  the 
cottage,  Furihata,  gorgeous  in  white  and  gold,  came 
towards  me  accompanied  by  his  sergeant,  and  ex- 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


291 


claimed,  with  a melodramatic  gesture  and  a voice  of 
triumph,  Furihata!”  I said,  of  course,  that  I was 

very  glad  to  see  him,  and  to  know  that  he  was  to  be 
attached  to  us  during  the  summer.  He  escorted  us 
solemnly  over  the  threshold  of  Peace  Cottage,  and  then, 
on  the  steps,  gathered  himself  up  for  a grand  effort, 
and  exclaimed  with  a gasp,  — protection  — British 
Legation  — Karuizawa  ! ” He  was  so  pleased  with  this 
phrase  that  he  came  back  twice  that  evening  to  say 
it  again,  and  has,  I hear,  repeated  it  to  several  of  our 
friends  who  have  taken  houses  here  for  the  summer ; 
only  for  them  the  wily  creature  substitutes  foreign- 
ers” for  British  Legation. 

I wrote  you  so  many  letters  from  Karuizawa  last 
year  that  I fear  there  are  few  new  things  left  to  tell 
you  of  now,  except  two  expeditions  which  had  not 
taken  place  then : one  to  the  Iriyama  Toge ; and  one 
to  Komoro,  a Buddhist  monastery  in  the  hills.  I will 
begin  with  Iriyama  Toge,  the  Cathedral  Rocks,  as  for- 
eigners have  named  the  place.  You  remember  that  our 
home  here  is  on  the  northern  edge  of  a plain  made  by 
a wide  sweep  between  two  parallel  lines  of  mountains, 
all  at  such  a height  that,  as  a prosaic  British  friend 
of  ours  puts  it,  ^^one  has  left  all  that  bamboo  tropical 
rubbish  behind.”  No  bamboo  grows  here,  no  camellia 
trees  or  palms,  only  pine  and  oak  and  chestnut  clothe 
the  hillsides ; but  the  Lilium  auratum  blooms  in  profu- 
sion, and  our  cottage  is  like  a hothouse  just  now  with 
the  masses  of  splendid  flowers,  lilies,  white  and  scarlet 
and  golden,  bluebells,  hydrangea,  and  a most  superb 


292 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


white  blossom  like  gardenia  growing  on  trees  twenty 
feet  high.  These  and  many  others  the  gardener  brings 
in  every  day  from  the  woods,  and  our  few  tame  garden 
flowers  look  poor  and  weak  beside  them.  As  I was  say- 
ing, we  have  our  home  among  the  foothills  of  Asama 
Yama,  the  never-sleeping  volcano,  which  is  the  back- 
ground of  our  view.  From  us  the  land  drops  for  a little 
way,  and  then  one  flnds  oneself  on  the  level  flowery 


ASAMA  YAMA 


floor  of  the  valley,  about  four  miles  wide,  and  extend- 
ing some  six  or  seven  miles  towards  the  south  before  it 
begins  to  drop  in  sheer  terraces  down  to  Nagano,  Nao- 
etsu,  and  the  sea-coast.  The  Iriyama  Toge  is  the  fence 
of  hills  which  rise  softly  on  the  southern  boundary  of 
our  upland  valley ; softly  on  our  side  indeed,  but  be- 
tween them  and  the  distant  plain  below  comes  one  of 
those  amazing  successions  of  crags  and  peaks,  gorges 
and  ravines,  grey  rock  and  green  woodland  and  mossy 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


293 


slope,  which  look  — as  if  some  Titan  had  been  sampling 
creation  in  the  smallest  possible  space.  If  ever  there 
were  Titans,  this  country  must  have  been  one  of  their 
homes.  Asama  Yania  is  active  enough  now ; but  we 
have  seen,  thank  Heaven ! no  such  play  as  she  used  to 
indulge  in  — play  which  covered  her  southern  slopes 
with  boulders,  some  of  them  a hundred  feet  in  diame- 
ter; which  in  1783,  during  the  most  frightful  eruption 
the  world  has  ever  seen,  continued  for  six  weeks  to 
shake  the  empire  of  Japan  to  its  very  foundations, 
while,  as  the  writers  of  the  time  tell  us,  the  mountain 
was  on  fire  from  the  crown  to  the  base,”  and  never 
ceased  to  pour  out  lava,  mud,  rocks,  and  ashes  (these 
fell  two  inches  thick  eighty  miles  away),  while  the  roar 
and  smoke  seemed  to  go  up  to  heaven  itself.  Over  fifty 
villages  were  then  destroyed  ; valleys  were  filled  up  to 
the  brim  with  stones ; our  upland  plain,  which  had  been 
a rich  rice-bearing  district,  was  covered  with  something 
like  four  feet  of  solid  scoria,  while  the  streams  which 
watered  it  were  turned  aside ; the  loss  of  life  could  not 
be  counted ; the  lava  stream  ran  thirty  miles  in  sixteen 
hours  down  the  northern  slope,  and  lies  there  a black 
scar  to  this  day.  No  wonder  that  the  country  is  de- 
serted, that  vthe  two  or  three  hamlets  are  poor  and 
miserable ! Who  would  build  good  houses  near  such  a 
devouring  monster  ? who  that  could  help  it  would  come 
within  reach  of  its  devastating  breath  ? I never  realised 
until  we  came  here  that  it  was  our  beautiful  Asama 
Yama  that  had  done  all  this  mischief,  or  I doubt 
whether  I should  have  had  the  courage  to  settle  so 


294  LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 

close  to  its  sides.  They  tell  me  that  the  height  at 
which  we  have  built,  and  the  intervening  foothills, 
would  make  us  quite  safe  in  case  of  a new  eruption ; 
but  I am  inclined  to  pray  for  peace  in  our  time,  all  the 
same.  As  we  go  across  the  plain  towards  Iriyama  Toge, 
the  layers  of  scoria  are  clearly  shown  in  the  cuttings 
made  here  and  there  in  a fruitless  attempt  to  find  an 
arable  surface.  For  all  time  the  lovely  plain  can  be 
nothing  but  the  mountain’s  outer  court,  as  it  were, 
Asama’s  garden,  rich  in  wild  flowers  and  in  nothing 
else. 

Through  these  we  went,  knee  deep  in  aster  and 
in  golden-rod,”  across  the  plain,  to  where  our  horizon- 
line rises  in  grassy  slopes  that  look  as  if  they  had  been 
shaped  and  smoothed  by  a gentle  hand ; but  here  and 
there  a stern  rock  stands  out,  like  an  ascetic  in  the 
world,  protesting  against  the  ease  and  softness  with 
which  he  sees  himself  surrounded.  One  of  these  rocks, 
high  up  near  the  crest  of  the  hills,  stands  out  huge 
and  four  square  in  natural  granite,  with  a place  for  the 
preacher  in  the  centre ; and  this  the  foreigners  have 
called  Pulpit  Pock.  But  we  pass  round  its  base  and 
over  another  crest ; and  then  we  are  on  the  ridge  of 
the  Wami  Toge,  and  can  look  down  over  the  weird 
and  beautiful  valley  of  rocks,  through  which  a deep-cut 
path  winds  off  towards  Takasaki  and  the  distant  plain. 
The  surprise  of  this  sight  is  perhaps  its  especial  charac- 
teristic : at  one  moment  you  are  strolling  leisurely,  after 
something  of  a climb,  up  a slope  which  seems  to  end  in 
a grassy  ridge  a few  yards  farther  on ; you  have  left 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


295 


great  rocks  and  kills  be- 
liindj  the  tnrf  is  soft  under 
yoiir  feet,  and  you  say  to 
yourself,  We  will  just 
rest  a little  on  the  knoll, 
and  then  we  will  be  get- 
ting home ; for  there  is  no 
more  to  see  now.  This  is 
like  the  Asama  foothills.” 
And  in  a minute  you 
stand  on  the  green  ridge, 
and  a new  and  magic 
world  — a world  of  bower 
and  castle,  keep  and  but- 
tress, soaring  minster  and 
deep-cut  fosse  — lies  spread 
beneath  your  astonished 
eyes.  King  Arthur’s  Court 


might  come  riding  out  in 
golden  array  from  that 
grey  portcullis ; King  Ar- 
thur’s Queen  might  lean 
over  that  skyey  parapet, 
waiting  for  one  upward 
glance  from  her  hero-traitor 
knight.  What  deeps  are 
in  that  ravine,  where  some 
laidly  worm  might  coil 
its  dragon  scales  ! What 
heights  in  those  distant 


CROWS  IN  JAPAN 


I 


296 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


spires,  melting  in  golden  haze,  where  a wandering  King 
might  dream  the  hours  away  with  Morgan  Le  Fay  and 
her  airy  sisterhood ! The  turf  creeps  in  green  velvet 
folds  to  the  castle’s  foot ; the  drawbridge  lies  for  ever 
across  the  empty  moat ; the  sunset  floods  with  squan- 
dered gold  the  unpeopled  bastions  of  the  fort ; only 
the  wood-pigeons  whirl  round  the  eaves  of  the  Queen’s 
high  bower;  no  step  or  cry  is  heard,  save  that  of  a 
poor  man  in  blue  coat  and  straw  sandals  who  urges 
a heavily  laden  pack-horse  up  the  dark  road  which 
winds,  so  deep-cut  that  we  can  hardly  see  it,  round 
the  castle’s  base.  We  are  in  the  heart  of  the  central 
mountains  of  Japan ; the  great  castle  is  a nameless 
rock ; King  Arthur’s  fortress  a bit  of  nature’s  forgot- 
ten play ; and  I,  a dreamer,  who  sit  here  for  hours, 
weaving  the  worlds  together  in  my  dreams.  East  with 
West,  Past  with  Present,  Legend  with  Truth,  till  my 
comrades  gather  round  me,  telling  strange  stories  of 
hair-breadth  climbs  among  the  rocks,  calling  high  and 
long  for  two  who  seem  to  have  lost  themselves  in  the 
labyrinths  of  this  granite  city.  At  last  we  see  them 
far  down,  looking  weirdly  small,  waving  their  hands  to 
us  from  a point  which  they  have  scaled.  They  are 
two  who  often  get  lost  in  company ; so  we  turn,  smil- 
ing, and  leave  them  to  linger  as  they  like,  while  we 
make  our  way  home  across  the  plain,  clinging  to  the 
skirts  of  the  daylight  as  they  sweep  all  too  swiftly 
from  us.  Sweet  is  the  slow  walk  home  across  the 
evening  fields ; the  grass  is  all  in  twilight  at  the  root, 
but  the  last  light  lingers  softly  on  the  billowy  surface. 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


297 


where  pale-purple  asters,  and  white  stars  of  Bethlehem 
float  as  on  a cloud.  Hundreds  of  sunset  lilies  are  turn- 
ing their  pale-gold  faces  to  the  west,  as  a signal  that 
day  is  done.  In  the  hot  hours  they  sleep,  and  as  we 
passed  at  noon  every  cup  was  closed  in  the  sunshine; 


THE  RUNNING  POSTMAN 


but  now  that  the  twilight  cools  the  air,  they  open 
wide,  and  stand  in  starry  multitudes  along  the  plain  ; 
behind  them  the  misty  mountains  and  the  hushed  em- 
purpled sky ; at  their  feet  a tangle  of  low  grasses 
steeped  in  dew ; and  God’s  peace  over  all,  my  dear, 
God’s  peace  over  all.’^-^ 

Far  away,  where  the  plain  turns  sharply  to  the 
south,  stands  a little  town  called  Komoro  — a town  of 
eager  industries  and  uninteresting  surroundings,  far  less 


298 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


picturesque  than  our  shabby  village  where  every  house 
is  decaying,  every  screen  is  torn,  where  the  children 
and  the  cats  scatter  into  wretched-looking  homes  as  we 
and  the  dogs  pass  by.  Poor  old  Karuizawa  was  a 
grand  place  once,  a stage  on  the  long  Nakasendo  road, 
where  every  Daimyo  must  pass  on  his  way  from  Kyoto 
to  Yedo.  Now  only  mountain  pilgrims  and  crazy  for- 
ei'gners  like  ourselves  ever  go  near  it ; the  railway  has 
turned  two  miles  aside,  and  the  place  has  become  so 
poor  that  it  has  not  even  a public  bath ! Since  our 
coming  this  year  our  butcher,  our  rice-dealer,  and  our 
own  laundry  man  have  all  set  up  their  signs  in  the 
village,  proclaiming  that  they  are  specially  appointed  to 
attend  the  British  Legation.  The  place  is  a favourite 
one  with  the  populous  Canadian  missionaries ; and  I 
hope  their  patronage,  combined  with  our  own  and  that 
of  our  friends,  will  bring  a little-  prosperity  back  to  the 
town.  But  Komoro  is  quite  a different  thing ; it  lies 
right  on  the  line  of  railway,  has  good  inns,  and  thrives 
on  making  saddles,  tools,  and  carts  for  the  whole 
province. 

When  we  went  to  Komoro  the  other  day,  it  was 
not  to  stay  there,  but  to  make  an  expedition  to  a 
strange  Buddhist  convent  far  back  in  the  hills  that 
overhang  a river,  whose  name,  I am  ashamed  to  say, 
I have  forgotten  to  ask.  The  road,  after  leaving 
Komoro,  goes  for  some  way  between  rice-fields,  over 
the  very  hottest  country  I have  yet  traversed  in 
Japan.  The  fields  are  separated  by  little  dykes  just 
wide  enough  to  walk  on  j and  these  are  intersected 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


299 


again  and  again  by  temporary  canals  of  the  most 
minute  kind,  patted  into  being  with  the  back  of  a 
spade  so  as  to  conduct  the  water  from  one  level  down 
to  the  next,  and  so  on.  For  all  rice-fields  must  be  laid 
out  in  terraces,  so  that  as  soon  as  the  water  has  thor- 
oughly overfiowed  one  field  it  may  drop  a foot  or  so  to 
do  its  work  in  the  next,  and  so  on  through  field  after 
field  till  every  plant  is  fed.  Between  the  fields  the 
dykes  are  green  now,  and  here  and  there  a lonely 
blood-red  lily  waves  like  a signal  in  the  air.  The 
colour  is  an  intense  scarlet,  and  partakes  in  some  way 
of  the  nature  of  flame,  since  it  can  be  seen  at  distances 
where  all  other  tints,  including  white,  would  pass  unno- 
tice(^^  I had  brought  my  chair,  and  was,  as  usual, 
far  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  party,  who  had  chosen 
to  walk  — a great  mistake  on  such  a burning  day. 
Soon  my  men  turned  from  the  dusty  road  between 
the  evil-smelling  rice-fields  (alas ! agriculture,  to  be  suc- 
cessful here,  must  — excuse  the  word  — stink),  and  took 
to  a path  which,  after  crossing  a fairly  full  river,  pene- 
trated into  a rocky  range  of  hills  on  its  northern  side. 
How  welcome  was  the  shade  and  coolness  of  the  groves ! 
I think  the  men  walked  faster  than  they  do  on  cooler 
days ; and  while  my  companions  were  still  struggling 
up  the  sides  of  the  slope,  we  were  racing  along  the 
crest  of  the  ridge,  all  our  troubles  over.  It  was  just 
midday  when  the  path  dropped  again,  in  the  direction 
of.  the  river’s  noise  (the  stream  itself  was  invisible),  and 
the  dull-red  gate  of  some  sacred  building  showed  at  the 
end  of  a short  alley  thick-set  with  oak  trees.  A still 


300 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


farther  descent,  and  we  were  inside  a grey  stone  court, 
with  very  old  buildings  round  three  sides  of  it,  while 
in  front  a terrace  spread  between  two  walls  of  rock 
which  rose  straight  on  either  side.  The  place  was  set 
in  a very  cleft  of  the  rock,  like  a sea-swallow’s  nest.  No 
sun  came  here,  although  above  and  behind  us  high  noon 
lay  on  the  land.  Before  us  the  rocky  walls  ran  a long 
way  out,  and  between  them,  far  away,  bathed  in  noon- 
tide glory,  the  country  beyond  the  river  seemed  to  swim 
in  the  blazing  heat.^^ 

I have  at  home  a picture  of  the  gentle  lady  Murasaki 
Shikibu,  who  eight  hundred  years  ago  retired  to  just 
such  a spot  as  this  to  meditate  on  the  romance  which, 
by  command  of  the  Empress,  she  was  to  write.  It  was 
in  August,  by  the  light  of  the  full  moon,  that  she  sat 
all  night  on  the  balcon}^  of  a temple  between  the  rocks, 
far  uplifted  from  earth,  and  gazing  down  on  Lake  Biwa 
as  we  here  gaze  on  the  distant  river.  If  her  temple  was 
like  this  one,  I do  not  wonder  at  the  power  of  inspiration 
which,  overflowing  her  mind,  caused  her  to  write  the 
chief  incidents  of  her  story  on  the  back  of  a roll  of  Bud- 
dhist Scriptures,  till  all  the  space  was  covered.  Next 
day,  when  the  sacred  frenzy  was  over,  she  discovered 
what  she  had  done,  and  in  time  copied  out  the  whole 
book  anew  to  make  reparation.yj/ 

Here,  in  the  rocky  monastely  of  Komoro,  all  was 
still,  and  the  light  was  not  light,  but  clarified  shadow, 
an  even  dusk,  in  which  all  objects  were  perfectly  to  be 
apprehended,  but  none  smote  the  weary  eyeballs  more 
strongly  than  another.  I cannot  give  you  the  sense  of 


LETTERS  FROM  eJAPAN 


301 


remoteness,  of  isolation,  of  tempered  peace  which  the 
atmosphere  inspired.  Coming  from  the  sun-stricken 
world  outside,  it  was  like  turning  from  some  wild  pas- 
sion of  love,  that  scorches  and  kills,  to  the  impersonal 
tenderness  of  a mother-heart,  to  pre-natal  dawns  ere 
individual  suffering 
had  stamped  the 
soul  with  the  indi- 
vidual immortality 
which  it  must  carry, 
for  better,  for  worse, 
through  eternity. 

Peace  was  in  the 
brown  earth,  where 
the  dust  fell  softly 
from  one’s  feet,  as 
if  knowing  how 
tired  they  were ; 
peace  in  the  hermit 
trees,  which  had 
chosen  to  grow  in 
small  hard  clefts, 

far  above  the  noises 
of  river  and  plain ; ^ brown-wingeb  ealcon 

peace  on  the  grey-faced  rock,  and  all  along  the  patient 
steps  and  ledges  by  which  a path  had  been  wrested, 
inch  by  inch,  from  the  butting  crag,  so  sharp  in  its 
dizzy  drop  to  the  river’s  bed  that  the  eye  hardly  dared 
to  follow  where  a brown-winged  falcon,  whirring  out 
from  its  eyrie,  fell  like  a falling  stone  on  its  unseen 


302 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


quarry  below;  and  peace,  in  armfuls,  heartfuls,  where 
at  last,  after  passing  by  bell  and  shrine,  by  gateways 
cut  in  the  edge  of  the  cliff  against  an  empty  sky,  by 
narrow  steps  round  the  brinks  of  chasms  that  sank  out 
of  sight  in  the  darkness,  the  path  came  out  on  the  bare 
crag’s  top  against  a rock  that  shadowed  it  still,  and 
watched,  like  a sentinel,  over  — a dying  man^^^ 

Lying  on  the  scant  grass,  his  face  to  the  sky,  his 
limbs  doubled  under  him,  was  a poor  Japanese,  a man 
of  about  eight-and-twenty,  dressed  in  thin  cotton,  and 
gazing  out  with  eyes  where  suffering  was  not  yet  sub- 
dued in  unconsciousness.  He  groaned  pitifully,  but 
shook  his  head  in  refusal  of  the  help  that  all  were 
longing  to  give.  The  bonze,  who  was  acting  as  guide, 
explained.  The  man  was  doing  a voluntary  penance, 
fulfilling  a vow.  Eight  days  and  nights  he  had  passed 
here,  without  touching  food  or  drink.  He  had  still 
two  days  more  to  suffer,  but  would  probably  die  first. 
It  was  his  own  wish  ; there  was  nothing  to  be  done  ; 
it  was  better  to  leave  him  — in  peace. 

And  surely  you  are  at  peace  now,  poor  brave  martyr 
to  the  only  good  you  knew  ? God  is  not  one  who  will 
reproach  you  for  giving  more  than  He  asked. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 


DEATH  OF  FATHER  TESTEVUIDE.  — HOLY  POVERTY.  — UNSUS- 
PECTED PHILANTHROPISTS. — THE  LEPER  HOSPITAL  AGAIN. 

— A leper’s  death.  — MERE  SAINTE-MATHILDE 

August,  1891. 

jj ’FATHER  TESTEVUIDE  is  dead.  Father  Vigroux 
^ takes  his  place. 

Such  is  our  news  from  Tokyo ; and  ever  since  it 
came,  somewhat  late,  to  our  solitudes,  I have  been 
thinking  very  sorrowfully  of  the  little  Hospital  in  the 
hills,  where  profound  grief  will  be  felt  for  the  loss  of 
the  dear  missionary  who  has  been  father  and  mother 
to  the  poor  sick  people  there.  Thank  God,  I cannot 
help  saying  — thank  God  that  he  went  before  the  dis- 
ease had  fastened  on  him  ! His  death  was  for  his  peo- 
ple, nevertheless.  For  months  at  a time,  when  funds 
were  low,  he  used  to  starve  himself,  in  order  to  spend 
on  his  sick  the  money  which  should  have  gone  for  his 
own  food.  Besides  the  lepers,  he  had  many  poor,  and 
was  sometimes  the  only  priest  in  a very  wide  district ; 
so  that  the  hardest  work  constantly  fell  to  his  share 
— as,  indeed,  it  does  fall  to  all  our  priests  here,  where 
the  demand  far  exceeds  the  supply. 

303 


304 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Do  you  know  what  our  priests  have  to  live  on  in 
Japan?  Fifteen  yen  (thirty  shillings)  a month.  Out 
of  this  they  must  pay  house  rent  if  there  is  no  dwell- 
ing-house attached  to  the  chapel,  food,  clothing,  the 
expenses  of  getting  from  one  part  of  their  parish  to 
another,  and  (do  not  laugh)  their  charities ! I cannot 
make  out  that  any  one  of  them  has  any  private  in- 
come ; if  they  had,  it  has  all  been  given  pour  les 
oeuvres^  and  thirty  shillings  a month  is  what  they 
receive  — and  live,  or  die,  upon ! 

Why  — why  ? ” I cried  in  indignation,  when  I first 
learnt  all  this.  Because  there  is  no  more  to  give  ; the 
Church  is  in  the  straits  of  holy  poverty.  The  class 
who,  especially  in  France,  used  to  contribute  so  gener- 
ously to  mission  work  has  been  obliged  to  devote 
those  moneys  to  voluntary  schools  since  the  name  of 
God  has  been  eradicated  from  all  the  public  ones ; and 
missionary  work  would  be  paralysed  if  the  priests  could 
not  live  — like  paupers : dear,  kind,  clean,  holy  paupers, 
but  just  that.  I have  heard  it  said  that  the  sum 
spent  by  different  sects  of  Protestants  in  Japan  equals 
that  which  the  Holy  Father  has  at  his  disposal  for 
mission  work  throughout  the  world.  I do  not  know 
how  true  this  may  be  ; but,  watching  the  two  systems 
at  work,  close  beside  me,  I have  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  in  these  matters  money  is  of  secondary  value, 
of  next  to  no  value,  as  compared  with  prayer,  self- 
sacrifice,  and  the  Heaven-taught  discipline  of  a holy 
life.  It  is  impossible  for  the  most  hardened  scoffer  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  one  of  our  priests  or  sisters 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


305 


of  charity  here  without  feeling  that  he  is  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a power  for  good.  As  I heard  one  man  say, 
Well,  people  don’t  do  this 
kind  of  thing  to  amuse  them- 
selves ! ’Pon  my  soul,  the 
poor  chaps  deserve  to  suc- 
ceed ! ” 

And  here  let  me  render 
a tribute  to  the  scoffer,  as 
I have  known  him  in  the 
East,  the  British  or  foreign 
bachelor,  popularly  supposed 
to  be  so  immersed  in  his  own 
comforts  and  pleasures,  in 
his  club  and  his  whist  and  his 
billiards  and  — other  things, 
that  it  would  be  in  vain  to 
turn  to  him  for  assistance 
where  the  poor  are  concerned. 

Well,  after  a long  experience 
of  charitable  work,  I must 
say  that  the  jolly  foreign 
bachelor  is  the  only  crea- 
ture (barring  the  Empress 
of  Japan  and  some  ladies  of 
her  Court)  to  whom  I have 
never  once  turned  in  vain. 

^ , A BLIND  MASSEUR 

Generally  a hopeless  pagan 

himself,  and  often  living  on  very  small  pay,  the 
moment  one  speaks  of  orphans  or  lepers  or  earth- 


VOL.  II 


X 


306 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


quake  victims,  his  hand  goes  into  his  pocket,  and  out 
comes  all  (and  sometimes  a good  deal  more  than  all) 
he  can  possibly  alford.  Never  was  there  a more  kind- 
hearted  and  generous  creature ; and  many  a time,  where 
I had  asked  for  a real  necessity  with  regret  and  hesi- 
tation, the  regret  and  hesitation  have  been  transferred 
to  the  acceptance  of  a sum  which  must  have  made  a 
large  difference  in  the  giver’s  banking  account.  Once 
the  dear  Tsukiji  nuns  had  their  house  so  full  of  sick  and 
poor  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  start  an  infirm- 
ary at  once,  and  a relatively  large  sum  was  wanted  to 
do  it.  We  had  a charity  ball,  or  something  of  the  kind, 
coming  off  for  another  object,  and  I could  not  compro- 
mise its  success  by  appealing  to  my  usual  public  for 
this  new  need.  Five  gentlemen,  quite  unsuspected  by 
the  world  of  philanthropic  tendencies,  made  up  the  sum 
for  us  between  them,  and  the  infirmary  has  been  full 
from  that  day  to  this ; numberless  cures,  baptisms,  and 
conversions  have  taken  place  there,  which  must  surely, 
in  great  part,  be  put  down  to  the  credit  of  my  five 
friends.  And  the  kindness  of  the  bachelor  to  the  little 
children  and  the  sick ! The  toys  and  cakes  smuggled 
down  to  the  nuns  for  the  little  ones,  the  sums  of  money 
sent  ^^just  to  give  the  poor  little  beggars  a bit  of  a 
treat,”  the  touching  way  in  which  my  beloved  soeur 
Sainte-Domitille  will  say,  when  everything  else  has 
failed,  Eh  bien,  il  faudra  ecrire  a Monsieur  un  tel,” 
with  the  certainty  of  not  being  refused ! It  is  all  very 
instructive,  and  makes  one  think  even  better  of  human 
nature  than  one  did  before. 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


307 


And  now,  as  I was  saying,  dear  Pere  Testevuide 
has  gone  home,  after  very  great  suffering.  He  had 
been  sent  away  to  a little  Sanatorium  which  the  mis- 
sionaries have  in  Hong  Kong,  in  the  hope  that  the 
change  of  air  would  restore  his  strength.  The  attempt 
only  succeeded,  as  the  Archbishop  says  in  his  letter,  in 
laying  another  cross  on  his  kind  heart  — that  of  dying 
away  from  his  own  chere  mission. 

His  place  has,  of  course,  been  filled  at  once,  by 
a Father  whom  I have  known  well  in  Tokyo,  Pere 
Vigroux,  who  is  the  Apostolic  Pro-vicar,  and  whose 
hands  have  always  been  as  full  as  they  could  hold  of 
work.  It  will  be  impossible  for  him  to  drop  his  other 
tasks  at  once ; but  God  only  knows  how  he  is  going  to 
accomplish  them  and  look  after  the  lepers  as  well.  The 
Archbishop  wrote  to  him,  asking  him  to  undertake  the 
Gotemba  business,  and  he  accepted  promptly.  But 
Gotemba  is  just  now  a problem  of  a very  anxious  kind. 
There  is  next  to  no  money  to  keep  it  going ; there 
are  thhty  in-patients  there,  and  others  are  asking  for 
admission  all  the  time ; poor  creatures  to  whom  the 
treatment  would  be  of  inestimable  benefit,  whether  as 
arresting  the  still  curable  symptoms  of  thfe  disease,  or 
as  palliating  and  softening  the  horrible  sufferings  of 
its  more  advanced  stages.  But  how  can  they  be  re- 
ceived if  there  is  no  money  to  pay  for  their  medicines 
or  their  food  ? The  original  Hospital,  built  with  such 
pathetic  economy  by  Pere  Testevuide,  was  already  far 
too  small  for  those  whom  he  received ; and  before  his 
death  he  managed  to  throw  two  wings  out  from  the 


308 


LETTERS  FROM  JARAX 


main  building,  and  with  these  it  could  now  accommo- 
date eighty  patients.  But  the  founder  just  managed  to 
feed  thirty  by  going  about  and  begging  food  for  them 
himself.  He  knew  the  district,  and  was  greatly  beloved  ; 
and  yet  he  could  never  quite  carry  out  the  desires  of 
his  heart.  No  wonder  that  good  Pere  Yigroux  felt, 
even  while  undertaking  it,  that  it  was  an  enormous  task. 

‘^Votre  grandeur,”  he  writes  to  Monseigneur  Osouf, 
^^veut  bien  me  confier  la  direction  de  I’hopital  des  lepreux 
. . . j’en  remercie  Dieu,  et  si  j’ai  lieu  de  craindre  de 
n’etre  pas  a la  hauteur  de  la  tache,  je  ne  I’accepte  pas 
moins  avec  la  plus  grande  confiance.” 

He  then  goes  on  to  give  a short  report  of  the  work ; 
and  any  one  who  reads  it  must,  I think,  feel  as  I do, 
that  of  all  works  of  charity  this  is  perhaps  the  one  where 
the  good  done  is  most  direct,  the  need  most  pressing. 
The  new  director’s  first  grief  was  that  of  being  unable 
to  receive  all  the  patients  who  had  implored  to  be  ad- 
mitted. However,  he  took  ten  of  the  most  suffering, 
and  hopes  soon  to  collect  funds  to  allow  of  his  under- 
taking a few  more.  His  description  of  his  new  parish- 
ioners is  too  sad  and  terrible  to  be  repeated.  He  says 
that  the  forms  of  the  disease  are  varied,  and  most  awful ; 
but  that  at  any  rate  the  poor  patients  know  that  hence- 
forth they  will  never  be  abandoned  to  their  fate ; that 
shelter  and  food  and  clothing,  medicines  for  their  sick 
bodies  and  kindness  to  cheer  their  sad  hearts,  will  never 
be  wanting.  Eleven  of  the  number  are  Christians ; and 
he  says  that  although  all  are  resigned  and  patient  — no 
Japanese  is  otherwise,  even  in  great  suffering  — these 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN 


309 


are  positively  happy.  The  certainty  that  if  they  bear 
their  misfortunes  patiently  they  will  enter  into  happi- 
ness supreme  and  undying  when  this  short  life  is  over 
makes  them  perfectly  serene  and  even  gay.  More  than 
one  seems  even  thankful  for  the  misfortune  of  a sick- 
ness to  his  body  which  has  brought  his  far  more  sick 
soul  to  the  Great  Physician.  And  these,  little  by  little, 
will  convert  the  others,  who  seem  ready  even  now,  in 
their  poverty  and  suffering,  to  accept  and  cling  lov- 
ingly to  the  merciful  faith  which  would  perhaps  have 
appealed  to  them  in  vain  in  health  and  prosperity. 

It  has  been  found  impossible  to  keep  one  patient 
on  less  than  ten  pounds  a year;  and  the  good  Father 
beseeches  charitable  persons  to  contemplate  the  possi- 
bility of  endowing  a bed.  From  time  to  time  charitable 
entertainments  are  given  at  Tokyo  especially  for  the 
Hospital ; but  a few  regular  subscriptions  help  more 
than  spasmodic  giving,  and,  alas ! the  want  is  very 
great.  From  reasons  which  I think  I told  you  before, 
scarcely  any  provision  is  made  for  lepers  here ; and 
every  now  and  then  some  tragedy  occurs  which  just 
tears  at  one’s  heart-strings  for  pity. 

I must  tell  you  a story ; please  forgive  the  horror 
of  the  beginning,  for  the  sake  of  the  end.  A month 
ago,  up  here  in  the  hills,  where  of  course  our  papers 
come  a day  late,  I was  horrified  to  read  in  the  Mail 
an  account  of  a poor  leper  who  had  been  found  (and 
left)  dying  by  the  roadside  in  a suburb  of  Yokohama. 
The  indignant  Britisher  who  wrote  said  that  in  the 
course  of  a walk  his  attention  was  attracted  by  the 


310 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


cries  of  some  one  in  great  pain.  Coming  near  the  spot, 
he  found,  to  his  horror,  that  a crowd  of  Japanese  boys 
were  pelting  with  stones  a poor  creature  who  was  roll- 
ing on  the  ground,  naked,  in  agony,  in  the  very  last 
stages  of  leprosy.  The  Englishman,  I am  sure,  dis- 
persed the  boys,  and  probably  gave  the  poor  wretch 
some  money,  but  in  his  letter  mentioned  nothing  but 
the  pitiable  condition  of  the  man,  which  he  described  as 
such  that  it  required  the  greatest  courage  to  come  near 
him.  Of  course  one  would  have  given  worlds  to  help; 
but  Yokohama  is  far  indeed  from  Karuizawa,  it  was 
already  evening,  and  all  that  night  I was  made  misera- 
ble by  the  thought  of  the  leper’s  suffering,  which  I could 
do  nothing  to  alleviate.  In  the  morning  the  thought 
came  to  me  to  write  to  the  nuns  of  the  Convent  in 
Yokohama,  and  get  them  to  look  into  the  case ; there 
would  be  no  need  to  ask  them  to  help,  when  once  they 
knew  of  it.  The  answer  came  on  the  next  day  but  one 
from  the  Superior,  Mere  Sainte-Mathilde ; she  is  over 
seventy,  and  has  more  than  fifty  years  of  vocation  ” 
behind  her.  I must  give  you  her  letter  just  as  it  came, 
except  that  I translate  it  into  English : 

^‘Dear  Mrs.  Fraser,  — I have  heard  it  said  that 
souls  speak  to  one  another ; and,  indeed,  I believe  it. 
Last  night  I saw  you  come  to  me  with  such  ardour,  such 
precipitation,  that  it  woke  me  several  times  from  my 
sleep ; my  mind  was  full  of  you  this  morning,  when 
your  letter  was  put  into  my  hands.  Be  comforted.  He 
for  whom  to-morrow  is  as  to-day,  and  who  sees  the 
desires  of  our  hearts,  accomplished  yours  for  the  un- 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAK 


311 


fortunate  leper  before  you  had  formed  it.  The  leper 
was  baptised  by  one  of  our  Sisters,  and  died  soon  after 
in  perfect  peace,  and  with  the  most  lively  gratitude  for 
the  grace  he  had  received.  . . . The  poor  man  was  dis- 
covered by  a charitable  gentleman,  who  at  once  went 
home,  procured  a carpenter,  and  with  him  brought  nails 
and  wood  to  build  a kind  of  shed  over  the  poor  crea- 
ture, whom  it  was  quite  impossible  to  move.  He  gave 
him  wine  and  food,  and  then  hastened  to  call  us  to  see 
if  it  were  still  possible  to  instruct  and  baptise  this  dying 
man,  who  was  literally  at  the  last  gasp.  The  Sister  sat 
beside  him  for  three  hours  before  she  could  make  him 
grasp  the  necessary  truths.  He  became  unconscious  again 
and  again,  and  even  when  conscious  would  not  listen, 
appeared  not  to  hear  what  she  was  saying.  At  last  she 
sent  the  jinriksha  coolie  back  to  the  Convent  to  ask  for 
some  water  of  Lourdes,  and  prevailed  npon  the  sick 
man  to  swallow  a few  drops.  The  moment  he  had  done 
so  a change  came  over  him,  and  he  gave  the  most  rapt 
attention  to  all  that  she  was  saying.  Whereas  before  not 
a word  had  gone  to  his  heart,  now,  by  the  protection 
of  our  Blessed  Mother,  light  flooded  his  soul,  and  he 
eagerly  asked  for  the  baptism  which  would  open  for  him 
the  gates  of  eternal  peace  and  joy.  His  gratitude  was 
touching,  and  he  did  all  that  he  could  to  express  it.” 

As  I read  her  letter  some  old  lines  that  a friend  used 
to  repeat  came  back  to  me  : 

0 power  to  do,  0 baffled  will, 

0 prayer  and  action,  ye  are  one, 
***** 

And  good  but  wished  with  God  is  done.’’ 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 


THE  DEFINITION  OF  A SAMURAI.  — SAMURAI  MEN  AND 
WOMEN.  — SAMURAI  IDEALS.  — THE  RED  CROSS  SOCIETY. 
— SWORD-DAMASCENING.  — CLAN  GOVERNMENT.  — SAYON- 
ARA,  TOKi! 


OU  have,  I fear,  a right  to  be  puzzled  at  my  appar- 


ently indiscriminate  use  of  the  title  of  samurai. 
You  say  that  I describe  a prince,  an  interpreter,  and  a 
waiting-maid  all  by  the  same  term,  and  that  such  care- 
lessness is  misleading.  But  it  is  not  carelessness,  and 
the  appellation  is  appropriate  to  them  all ; so  it  is  not 
misleading.  It  simply  applies  to  the  whole  of  the  class 
who  had  a right  to  carry  arms,  and  their  descendants ; 
and  it  is  the  fault  of  Japanese  ideals  if  it  has  come  to 
express  everything  that  is  heroic  and  dignified  and  hon- 
ourable. The  first  samurai,  recognised  as  such,  were 
the  descendants  of  the  fighting  men  of  Yoritomo,  the 
first  of  the  Shoguns  (II86-II99).  He  had  found  it 
necessary  to  put  the  provinces  under  a kind  of  military 
prefecture,  each  commander  having  a large  body  of 
troops  at  his  disposal.  As  time  went  on,  the  soldiers 
came  to  consider  themselves  immeasurably  superior  to 
the  peaceful  part  of  the  population,  and  lyeyasu,  who 
loved  fighters,  increased  their  privileges,  and  laid  down 

312 


Tokyo,  October,  1891. 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


313 


laws  which  made  them  everywhere  feared  and  respected. 
They  were  as  a rule  clansmen  of  great  chiefs,  and  in 
more  waj^s  than  one  resembled  their  prototypes  in  the 
Highlands  at  home.  Very  few  possessed  property,  but 
all  were  entitled  to  rations  of  food  from  the  lord  whom 
tliey  served;  they  lived  in  a kind  of  barracks  round 
his  house;  they  never  married  out  of  their  class,  and 
the  noble  ladies  had  as  a rule  only  samurai  women  and 
girls  to  wait  on  them.  Some  w^ere  ronins  (chiefless  men), 
who  had  lost  their  lord,  and  wandered  through  the  coun- 
try at  will.  Those  who  had  a chief  were  bound  to 
attend  him  on  all  State  occasions,  fight  his  battles,  and 
revenge  his  wrongs.  They  were  reckless,  idle,  overbear- 
ing, and  constituted  a dangerous  class  in  the  country ; 
but  all  agree  in  admitting  that,  owing  to  the  dignified 
retirement  into  which  the  great  nobles  mostly  withdrew 
after  the  reconstitution  of  the  empire,  and  to  the  want 
of  enterprise  and  the  intense  conservatism  of  the  lower 
classes,  it  is  to  the  samurai  that  the  great  advance  of 
Japan  in  our  day  must  be  ascribed.  Almost  all  the  dis- 
tinguished men  of  modern  Japan,  the  thinkers,  the  edu- 
cators, the  pioneers,  have  been  drawn  from  their  ranks ; 
they  w^ere  the  first  to  make  their  own  the  modes  of 
thought,  the  education,  of  foreign  countries ; and  while 
worshipping  the  sword  as  the  god  of  samurai  honour, 
they  have  not  disdained  the  means  by  which  other 
nations  have  reached  greatness.  Agriculture  was  ahvays 
considered  by  them  as  a gentleman’s  occupation,  and 
no  samurai  lost  caste  by  entering  the  service  of  a nobly 
born  master.  He  could  not  enter  the  service  of  any  one 


314 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAK 


who  was  not  a noble,  and  he  could  not  engage  in  trade 
or  become  an  artisan.  The  people  were  divided  into 
four  classes  — samurai^  farmers,  merchants,  and  artisans, 
lyeyasu  constituted  the  samurai  the  masters  of  the  other 
classes,  and  enacted  regulations  by  which  the  mastership 
was  made  a reality. 

A samurai  was  supposed  to  have  but  one  law,  that 
of  honour ; loyalty  to  his  lord  came  first  of  all,  and  on 
that  altar  even  father  and  mother  must  be  sacrificed. 
Wife  and  child  were  hardly  counted ; being  a part  of 
himself,  their  service  must  be  as  complete  as  his.  No 
samurai  could  take  joy  in  life  while  an  insult  to  his 
chief  remained  unavenged;  and  he  often  refused  to  sur- 
vive his  master.  That  master  himself  could  have  no 
higher  code  of  honour  than  a simple  samurai,  and  the 
name  gradually  became  applied  in  the  s^nse  in  which 
we  use  gentleman.”  The  duty  of  a samurai,  the  hon- 
our or  the  valour  of  a samurai,  are  current  expressions ; 
an  action  not  worthy  of  a samurai  means  something 
base  and  churlish.  There  were  many  degrees  among 
the  different  members  of  the  class  as  far  as  social  status 
was  concerned  — some  being  heads  of  families,  and  hav- 
ing retainers  of  their  own ; some  merely  private  soldiers 
as  it  were,  with  no  property  beyond  the  precious  sword : 
but,  as  I have  said,  the  principles  of  honour  were  the 
same  for  all ; and  the  samurai  were  the  framers  of  the 
extraordinarily  elaborate  and  punctilious  code  of  Jap- 
anese honour,  by  the  side  of  which  the  maxims  of 
European  mediaeval  chivalry  seem  rough  and  rude.  A 
terrible  blow  was  dealt  to  the  class  when  the  Daimyos 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


315 


laid  down  their  power,  when  the  samurai  were  dis- 
banded, and  the  whole  intricate  and  ancient  edifice  of 
Japanese  feudalism  crashed  down  at  the  Emperor’s  feet. 
But  the  race  was  too  good  to  perish ; translating  its 
ancient  code  of  honour  into  a more  modern  tongue,  it 
rallied  round  the  throne,  and  has  done  so  much  for 
progress  and  good  administration  (in  spite  of  such  acci- 
dents as  the  soshi  or  the  fanatics)  that  I think  I am 
right  in  calling  the  Japan  of  to-day,  with  its  working 
Parliament,  its  growing  press,  its  army  and  navy,  its 
just  codes  and  admirable  schools,  its  vigorous  loyalty 
and  its  real  good  sense,  the  Japan  of  the  samurai. 

In  no  country  in  the  world  more  than  in  Japan  does 
the  woman  faithfully  reflect  the  opinions  and  codes  of 
the  man  of  her  own  class;  and  the  samurai  woman  is 
as  brave,  as  self-controlled,  as  calmly  self-sacrificing  as 
her  father  or  her  husband.  As  far  as  self-sacrifice  goes, 
she  has  more  to  give.  His  honour  will  always  remain 
to  him ; hers  may  be  asked  for,  and  must  not  then  be 
withheld.  The  samurai's  wife  must  be  chaste  as  Lu- 
crece,  faithful  as  Penelope ; but  she  has  deliberately 
sacrificed  herself,  again  and  again  in  Japanese  history, 
for  the  good  of  her  family  or  her  husband’s  lord.  More 
than  one  story  have  I heard  of  a samurai  wife  selling 
her  liberty  away  for  years  to  procure  the  price  of  weap- 
ons and  armour  where  these  were  needed  to  vindicate 
the  family  honour.  Such  a woman,  on  her  return  from 
bondage,  would  not  have  been  regarded  as  a fallen  thing ; 
on  the  contrary,  all  honour  and  gratitude  would  be  hers 
for  what  would  be  considered  an  act  of  unmixed  heroism. 


316 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


Had  she  been  asked  to  sell  her  soul  for  an  honourable 
object,  it  would  have  been  considered  base  in  her  to 
withhold  it. 

But  dishonour  as  dishonour  would  only  be  wiped  out 
with  death,  and  the  samurai  women  knew  from  child- 
hood the  use  of  the  fine  short  sword  whose  baptism  of 
blood  could  wash  away  any  disgrace.  They  were  trained 
and  drilled  to  use  spear  and  bow  and  arrow  in  the  de- 
fence of  the  castle,  which,  as  so  often  happened  in  the 
bloody  annals  of  the  Highlands,  was  exposed  to  attack 
in  the  absence  of  the  chief  and  his  fighting  men.  Then 
the  women  would  put  on  their  war  dress,  a distinctive 
costume  never  worn  at  other  times  ; and  many  a good 
defence  they  made,  holding  out  till  help  could  come. 
Were  they  overcome,  there  was  always  a short  road  to 
honour  and  peace  — nine  inches  of  the  delicate  blade 
which  each  of  them  wore  from  earliest  childhood  in 
times  of  danger.  When  one  reads  of  samurai  women 
being  taken  prisoners,  one  may  be  fairly  sure  that  there 
was  a child  to  be  protected,  a husband  to  be  saved ; then 
they  could  throw  themselves  at  the  conqueror’s  feet,  and 
win  by  their  beauty,  as  Tokiwa  won  from  Kiyomori,  the 
pity  which  would  have  been  refused  to  their  misfortunes. 

No  samurai  woman  could  live  with  the  weight  of  an 
unavenged  insult  upon  her.  In  the  stories  and  plays 
which  turn  on  the  life  of  feudal  times,  we  are  shown 
women  who  call  each  other  out  to  single  combat  in  pun- 
ishment of  such  a wrpug,  and  no  reproach  of  unwoman- 
liness seems  ever  to  have  attached  itself  to  them.  I 
often  wonder  how  the  Japanese  man  really  regards  his 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


317 


womankind ; how  lie  did  regard  her  in  the  old  fighting 
days,  when  she  was  so  constantly  his  second  sword,  as 
it  were.  The  Japanese  saying  is,  that  a woman’s  spirit 
is  her  mirror,  as  the  sword  is  the  soul 
of  a man.  They  have  made  a mirror 
the  chief  symbol  of  the  State  reli- 
gion of  Japan ; and  here,  as  elsewhere, 
every  true  woman  must  be  something 
of  a soldier  at  heart.  Could  a woman 
without  warrior  blood  in  her  veins 
rouse  her  little  boy  in  the  black  chill 
of  a winter  night,  saying,  Yone,  my 
son,  the  fencing  has  begun  in  the 
square  ! Join  thy  comrades,  or  they 
will  outdo  thee  in  the  day  of  battle  ” ? 

Not  once,  but  again  and  again  did  the 
mother  of  one  of  my  friends  thus  send 
him  forth,  shivering  indeed  with  cold,  but  warm  with 
emulation,  to  fight  Avith  his  young  comrades  sham  battles 
in  the  dark  nights,  and  come  home,  bruised  and  sore 
perhaps,  but  with  the  generous  blood  coursing  through 
his  veins,  and  the  sense  of  \uctory  warming  every  nerve. 

Ah ! the  SAvord  is  a great  teacher,  and  strength  is  not 
earned  in  ease.  The  boys  in  all  the  schools  of  Japan 
are  taught  drill  and  musketry  and  SAvord  practice  as 
regularly  and  persistently  as  they  are  taught  reading 
and  Avriting.  But,  then,  schools  here  are  not  prisons, 
not  penal  settlements ; boys  lose  neither  their  morality, 
their  courage,  nor  their  self-respect  by  attending  them. 
With  us  the  schoolboy  must  be  unmade  before  there 


318 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


is  room  for  the  gentleman  or  the  soldier  to  appear.  In 
Japan,  education  avowedly  goes  to  the  production  of 
both,  and  from  the  time  the  child  knows  his  own 
name  clean  ideals  are  set  before  him.  Happy  Japanese 
mothers ! How  quiet  they  \ must  sleep  of  nights ! 
The  ideals  of  tlie  race  | have  not  changed,  and  I 

hope  they  never  will. 
All  courage,  all  calm- 
ness, all  indiffer- 
ence to  self  — these 
were  and  are  what 
samurai  men  and 
women  have  a 
right  to  expect  of 
each  other ; and 
should  the  nation 
ever  again  be 
plunged  in  war, 
I fancy  the  sa- 
murai spirit  will 
have  much  to  do 
with  carrying  it 
through  and  over  its  difficulties.  This  spirit  was  curi- 
ously shown  the  other  day.  A very  great  friend  of  ours, 
Mr.  Sannomiya,^  of  whom  I have  so  often  spoken  to 
you,  met  with  a serious  accident.  He  and  several  others 
were  posted  along  the  sides  of  artificial  canals,  up  which 
the  Japanese  beaters  drive  the  wild  duck  for  the  guns. 
These  canals  are  deep  and  narrow,  having  high  green 


THE  FENCING  HAS  BEGUN!” 


1 Now  Baron  Sannoniiya. 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


319 


banks  on  either  side,  with  a bamboo  fencing  at  the  top, 
pierced  here  and  there  for  the  guns  to  pass  through.  The 
place  will  look  utterly  deserted,  and  yet  be  bristling  with 
guns  rendered  quite  invisible  by  these  screens.  Well, 
by  some  mistake  poor  Mr.  Sannomiya  received  the  whole 
of  a charge  of  duckshot  at  precisely  the  distance  when 
the  charge  had  expanded  enough  to  cover  his  whole  per- 


A SAMURAI  LADY  IMPLORING  HER  SON  NOT  TO  COMMIT  SUICIDE 

son.  He  was  very  much  hurt.  The  unwilling  assailant 
was  ready  to  commit  suicide  from  despair ; but  this 
would  not  have  helped  poor  Mr.  Sannomiya,  who  was 
taken  to  the  Red  Cross  Hospital  in  a very  critical  con- 
dition. His  wife  told  me  afterwards  that  the  surgeons 
were  anxious  to  administer  chloroform  before  extracting 
the  shots.  They  warned  the  patient  that  the  operation 


320 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


would  be  painful  in  the  extreme ; but  Mr.  Sannomiya 
scoffed  at  the  idea.  Who  ever  heard  of  a samurai 
taking  chloroform  ? ” he  asked,  and  lay  still  while 
thirty-six  pellets  were  cut  out  from  his  head  alone. 
Very  high  fever  and  six  weeks  of  painful  convalescence 
in  the  Hospital  followed  — weeks  during  which  he 
never  uttered  one  complaint ; and  when  I saw  him  at 
last,  he  looked  like  the  ghost  of  his  old  cheerful  self. 
With  my  usual  brilliant  tact,  I managed  to  invite  him 

and  Marquis  K , his  assailant,  to  dinner  on  the  same 

day  not  very  long  afterwards.  I only  remembered  the 
unfortunate  combination  too  late  to  alter  it,  and  I think 
that  the  saraurai  spirit  was  shown  quite  as  much  by  the 
urbane  kindness  and  gentleness  of  both  the  men  that 
evening  as  it  had  been  by  poor  Mr.  Sannomiya’s  silent 
stoicism  in  the  Hospital. 

Madame  Sannomiya  is  one  of  the  ladies  who  have 
done  most  for  the  Red  Cross  Society  here,  of  which  the 
Empress  is  the  President  and  the  ruling  spirit.  We  all 
belong  to  it,  and  have  beautiful  little  medals,  which 
we  wear  at  the  functions  connected  with  the  Hospital. 
Anybody  who  likes  may  become  a member,  and  the 
meetings  are  crowded  by  a very  representative  gather- 
ing of  the  population.  The  first  one  to  which  I went 
was  quite  a revelation  to  me  of  the  way  in  which  the 
Empress  has  managed  to  draw  the  people  to  her.  An 
immense  enclosed  hall  in  Uyeno  is  set  aside  for  these 
meetings.  For  the  avoidance  of  crushing,  it  is  divided 
into  sections,  which  run  down  both  sides  of  its  whole 
length,  leaving  a path  up  the  middle.  A high  platform 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


321 


at  one  end  is  reserved  for  the  Empress  and  the  Impe- 
rial Princes  and  Princesses,  and  we  have  our  places  on 
benches  at  the  side.  The  great  space  was  so  thickly 
packed  with  people  that  it  seemed  as  if  there  would 
not  be  standing  room  for  another  pair  of  feet,  and  every 
class  except  the  very  poorest  seemed  to  have  furnished 
members.  But  I do  not  think  it  was  entirely  interest 
in  the  Hospital  which  had  induced  them  to  pay  their 
little  or  big  subscriptions ; I think  the  crowd  came  (and 
only  subscribers  are  admitted)  in  order  to  see  the  Em- 
press stand  on  the  da’is,  and  to  hear  her  read  the  report 
of  the  year.  The  Empress,  amidst  a silence  of  intense 
excitement  and  respect,  stepped  forward  with  a paper 
in  her  hand,  and  in  a clear  voice  read  the  report  it 
contained.  This  was  what  was  so  truly  amazing  — 
the  most  modern  thing  I have  yet  seen  in  Japan ! 

After  she  had  finished,  those  who  were  to  be  newly 
enrolled  went  up  the  steps  of  the  dais,  and  received  their 
medals  and  diplomas  from  Prince  Komatsu,  who  said 
a few  words  about  the  Empress’s  gratitude  to  all  who 
helped  this  charitable  scheme  so  dear  to  her.  There 
was  a great  deal  of  bowing  and  band-playing,  and  then 
the  Empress  retired,  and  we  went  off  to  look  at  some 
sword-forging,  or  rather  sword-damascening,  which  had 
been  got  up  for  one  of  the  Princes  in  another  building. 
I am  afraid  I do  not  know  anything  about  blades ; but 
I was  immensely  interested  in  the  old  sword-smith  and 
his  work.  He  and  his  two  assistants  were  dressed  in 
white  ceremonious-looking  costumes ; a kind  of  white 
square  tent  had  been  erected  over  his  ovens  and  bel- 


VOL.  II 


Y 


322 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


lows;  and  he  kept  np  a running  hre  of  orders  to  his 
assistants  in  a low  voice  during  the  whole  process.  The 
blades  were  handed  to  him  one  by  one,  when  he  drew 
on  them  a lovely  design,  apparently  without  fore- 
thought, in  a black  substance ; the  blade  was  heated 
white  hot ; and  then,  with  tools  which  to  me  were  name- 
less, it  was  welded  and  hardened,  and  fused  in  the  fire 
and  welded  again,  polished,  cooled,  and  then  handed  up 
to  the  Prince’s  aide-de-camp,  who  showed  it  to  his 
master.  The  result  was  most  beautiful,  and  purely  Jap- 
anese ; but  the  Prince  seemed  indifferent,  and  barely 
glanced  at  the  blade.  The  old  man  looked  profoundly 
discouraged,  and  started  on  another  at  once,  as  if  hoping 
to  please  him  better  the  next  time.  I was  very  sorry  for 
his  disappointment.  It  was  nothing  to  the  descendant 
of  a hundred  generations  of  sword-smiths  that  we,  igno- 
rant foreigners,  should  admire  his  work ; but  that  his 
own  Imperial  Prince,  in  his  gorgeous  military  uniform, 
with  a foreign  sword  at  his  side,  should  not  care  for  the 
weapon  of  honour,  the  soul  of  the  samurai,''  that  evi- 
dently cut  very  deep  indeed. 

I was  speaking  of  service  a little  while  ago,  and  of 
how  the  servant  shares  in  the  honour  accorded  to  his 
master.  All  our  servants  belong  to  one  clan ; and  I 
was  warned  on  first  coming  to  live  here  that  it  would 
be  a mistake  to  introduce  strangers,  as  they  would  be 
very  badly  received.  I cannot  quite  make  out  who 
governs  the  politics  of  the  clan ; but  I see  that  my 
amah  and  her  husband  are  extremely  powerful  in  it. 
Once  or  twice,  when  necessity  has  induced  me  to  take 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


323 


some  highly  recommended  servant  from  a friend,  the 
experiment  has  always  ended  in  the  new  servant’s  com- 
ing to  me  with  extreme  regret  to  announce  that  a grand- 
mother in  a distant  province  had  been  taken  dangerously 
ill,  and  required  the  presence  of  all  her  relatives  at  once. 
Sympathy  was  received  with  silent  respect,  a small  pres- 
ent of  money,  although  perhaps  much  needed,  somewhat 
unwillingly,  because  at  that  time  I did  not  know  that 
to  give  money  not  properly  wrapped  up  in  paper  is  all 
but  an  insult.  Then  the  new  servant  would  disappear, 
to  return  no  more.  Only  one  have  I lost  in  a different 
way,  and  then  I confess  that  my  wrath  was  extreme ; 
but  it  was  a question  of  the  internal  government  of  the 
clan,  and  my  poor  little  housemaid  had  to  go  — to 
Honolulu. 

Her  name  was  Toki,  and  she  was  a widow,  with  one 
little  boy,  about  ten  years  old.  She  was  very  small  and 
delicate-looking,  with  a hne  oval  face,  high-bred  features, 
and  a beseeching  gentle  expression,  as  if  life  might  be 
softened  into  treating  her  more  kindly  in  the  future 
than  in  the  past.  The  women’s  work  in  the  house  is 
so  very  light  that  there  was  no  hardship  in  the  service. 
I found  that  even  O’ Matsu  did  not  insist  upon  the  atten- 
tions she  usually  claimed  from  Toki’s  predecessor,  hav- 
ing set  up  a servant  of  her  own,  a nice  little  girl  of 
twelve  or  thirteen,  whom  she  bullied  gloriously.  Toki 
had  been  several  months  with  us,  and  I had  got  quite 
accustomed  to  seeing  the  slight  graceful  figure  shadow- 
ing my  path,  when  one  day  Mrs.  D came  up  to  say 

that  there  was  terrible  trouble  in  the  servants’  quarters ; 


324 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


Toki  was  weeping  bitterly,  and  said  she  must  go  away. 
Rinzo  and  O’Matsu  had  decided  that  she  was  to  go 
away. 

I bounded  on  my  chair,  and  then  Rinzo  and  O’Matsu 
were  called  and  interrogated.  They  send  Toki  away? 
Never ! They  loved  her  as  a daughter,  and  it  was 
breaking  their  hearts  that  the  dear  girl  insisted  in 
the  most  headstrong  manner  on  going  to  Honolulu,  to 
marry  a member  of  the  clan  who  had  lost  his  wife 
since  he  emigrated.  But  he  was  a good  man,  rich, 
chief  cook  to  a foreign  gentleman ; doubtless  Toki 
would  be  happy.  Still,  they  would  miss  her  very  much, 
and  were  so  sorry  that  she  was  going ! 

There  is  an  omnivorous  emigration  agent  for  Hawaii 
here,  who  is,  they  say,  highly  paid  for  all  the  Japanese 
he  can  send  across.  I had  never  come  into  collision 
with  him  before ; but  if  I could  have  laid  my  hand  on 
him  that  day,  he  would  have  heard  what  the  tracts  call 
a few  plain  words.”  I was  certain  that  the  most 
dreadful  pressure  was  being  brought  to  bear  on  my 
gentle  little  Toki,  who  was  devoted  to  her  son,  and,  in 
a minor  way,  to  us.  The  next  interview  I had  was  with 
her.  I told  her  that  no  power  on  earth  should  take  her 
away  if  she  wanted  to  stay ; and  that  I was  sure  it  was 
her  duty  to  remain  with  her  son.  She  cried  bitterly, 
poor  soul ; but  said  that  her  kind  relations  had  appren- 
ticed her  boy  to  a jeweller  on  the  Ginza  (the  street  of 
shops),  who  would  certainly  make  his  fortune ; that  it 
was  her  own  unprompted  wish  to  go  to  Honolulu  to 
marry  the  rich  man’s  cook  whom  she  had  never  seen ; 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


325 


that  Okusama  was  too  kind,  too  much  kind  (oh  dear ! 
oh  dear ! and  more  floods  of  tears),  but  she  would  sail 
on  the  17th. 

And  so  she  did.  O’Matsu  took  her  down  to  Yoko- 
hama, and  was  in  black  disgrace  for  a month  afterwards, 
during  which  she  too  wept  copiously  over  the  missing 
of  the  headstrong  Toki  and  Okusama’ s unkind  suspi- 
cions. At  last  she  had  to  be  forgiven  on  account  of 
I her  charming  manners  and  her  general  usefulness. 

Then,  with  surprising  regularity,  I was^  told  that  Toki 
^ had  written  to  say  that  she  was  very  happy,  ‘to  say  that 

[her  husband  gave  her  five  meals  a day  all  of  the  best 
rice,  to  say  (by  the  next  mail  this)  that  she  had  a kind 
Japanese  doctor  and  three  large  gold  rings,  to  say,  by 
the  next  mail  again  (O’Matsu  forgot  to  state  who  wrote 
this  letter),  that  — she  was  dead. 

Sayonara,  little  Toki. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 


A TERRIBLE  EARTHQUAKE.  — THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  A PROV- 
INCE. — KAKKE,  A STRANGE  DISEASE.  — JAPANESE 
TRAINED  NURSES 


N October  28th,  early  in  the  morning,  we  were 


roused  by  the  most  terrifying  shock  of  earth- 
quake that  I have  yet  experienced.  The  disturbance 
took  the  dangerous  form  of  violent  vertical  movement, 
accompanied  by  fearful  rumblings  and  the  crashing 
of  stones.  We  were  all  asleep;  but  even  in  sleep  that 
apprehension  never  leaves  one,  and  before  I was  awake 
I had  reached  the  door,  and  Avas  trying  to  get  out  into 
the  gallery.  Sometimes  the  door  gets  jammed  during 
an  earthquake,  and  in  any  case  it  is  not  easy  to  open 
it  when  the  floor  is  tossing  like  a ship  at  sea,  and  the 
roar  and  crash  are  so  awful  that  you  cannot  hear  the 
voice  of  a person  standing  at  your  elbow ! As  a rule 
the  shock  has  a duration  of  from  thirty  to  sixty  seconds, 
and  that  feels  like  hours  in  the  horror  of  dismay  that 
it  inspires ; this  first  one  of  October  28th  went  on  for 
seven  minutes,  and  was  followed  by  lesser  ones  for 
many  hours.  For  all  its  terrors,  it  did  only  minor 
damage  here ; but  in  the  south  it  has  practically  wiped 
out  a large  and  thriving  district,  one  which  had  always 


November,  1891. 


326 


LETTERS  FROM  JAFAK 


327 


been  considered  exceptionally  free  from  such  visitations, 
and  as  yet  the  loss  of  life  and  property  cannot  even 
be  estimated. 

It  had  another  most  unusual  quality  of  earthquake 
shocks : it  had  been  predicted.  On  what  grounds  pre- 
cisely it  is  impossible  to  say,  but  with  confident  cer- 
tainty, at  any  rate.  The  last  really  severe  earthquake 
(I  am  not  speaking,  of  course,  of  volcanic  eruptions, 
which  are  generally  accompanied  by  shocks  of  more  or 
less  violence)  took  place  in  1854;  and  it  was  prophesied 
that  there  would  be  another  in  thirty-seven  years  — a 
prophecy  which  has  just  been  fulfilled.  As,  for  twelve 
hundred  years,  there  is  no  record  of  precisely  that 
interval  between  one  earthquake  and  another,  it  sounds 
like  an  arbitrary  prediction.  Thirty-seven  is  one  of 
the  Japanese  mystic  numbers ; when  that  period  after 
a death  has  elapsed,  the  survivors  perform  certain  rites 
for  the  benefit  of  the  dead  — ornament  their  shrines  and 
make  offerings  to  them.  And  doubtless  many  of  those 
who  perished  in  that  earthquake  are  being  so  remem- 
bered now.  But  this  catastrophe  has,  I think,  surpassed 
in  horror  all  those  remembered  by  living  people.  The 
centre  of  the  disturbance  was  at  Gifu  and  Nagoya.  At 
this  last  place  seven  hundred  shocks  of  earthquake  were 
registered  between  October  28th  and  November  3rd. 
Professor  Milne’s  beautiful  seismographs  were  quite 
incompetent  to  register  the  strength  of  the  shocks, 
which  far  surpassed  anything  that  had  been  contem- 
plated when  the  machines  were  invented.  The  descrip- 
tion of  the  visitation  at  its  centre  is  awful  past  belief. 


328 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


Two  towns  and  many  villages  are  completely  destroyed ; 
railway  lines  are  twisted  like  wire ; huge  bridges  tossed 
into  the  air  and  snapped  like  matchwood,  the  stone 
pillars  on  which  they  stood  being  sliced  smoothly  through 
their  whole  diameter.  Mountains  have  slipped  from 
their  foundations  ; a new  lake  has  been  formed ; three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  river  dykes  injured  — one 
half  of  this  totally  destroyed  ; a grove  of  bamboos  was 
taken  up  and  flung  sixty  feet  from  where  it  stood ; 
the  earth  has  opened  in  frightful  fissures,  and  in  some 
cases  closed  again  over  the  houses  and  bodies  it  had 
swallowed.  The  lowest  estimation  puts  the  houses 
totally  destroyed  at  42,345,  those  partially  ruined  at 
18,106.  As  for  loss  of  life,  that  will  never  be  known, 
I fear  ; every  turn  of  the  spade  brings  dead  and  dying 
to  light,  and  many  of  the  wounded  were  so  frightfully 
hurt  that  it  was  impossible  to  save  them.  As  all  the 
telegraph  communication  and  railway  traffic  was  inter- 
rupted, it  was  not  easy  to  bring  assistance  immediately 
to  the  sufferers,  and  the  first  doctors  and  nurses  who 
got  to  them  were  on  their  feet  for  days  and  nights, 
and  did  more  than  seemed  humanly  possible  to  help 
the  poor  creatures.  At  Ogaki  Hospital,  two  surgeons 
dressed  the  wounds  of  six  hundred  patients  in  forty- 
eight  hours. 

The  misery  and  destruction  were  as  usual  enor- 
mously increased  by  the  fires  which  at  once  broke  out. 
What  the  earthquake  left  the  fire  devoured  ; and  now, 
with  the  winter  coming  on,  at  least  one  hundred  thou- 
sand people  are  without  houses,  without  food,  having 


RESULTS  OF  THE  EARTHQUAKE 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


331 


lost  their  means  of  gaming  a livelihood,  and  every- 
thing else  in  the  world.  Of  course  every  kind  of  assist- 
ance is  being  given  by  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress, 
by  the  Government,  by  public  subscriptions,  and  private 
individuals;  nurses  and  doctors  have  flocked  to  the 
afflicted  districts,  and  relief  camps  have  been  started, 
where  allowances  of  food  are  dealt  out ; but  with  all 
that,  the  suffering  is  awful,  the  want  all  but  impossible 
to  satisfy.  Here  we  do  nothing  but  collect  money  and 
clothes,  bandages  and  blankets ; and\^the  railway  com- 
panies carry  it  all  free  of  charge  down  to  the  scene  of 
the  trouble.  I am  glad  to  say  the  English  trained 
nurse  from  St.  Hilda’s  was  sent  down  at  once,  with 
two  Japanese  nurses  and  a doctor,  at  the  mission’s 
expense,  and  have  been  doing  good  work  among  the 
sufferers,  who  are,  every  one  says,  perfectly  patient  and 
resigned.  There  has  been  no  murmuring  even  at  the 
misfortunes,  and  their  patience  and  gentleness  make  it 
easy  to  organise  and  carry  out  the  plans  for  their  help. 
The  excellent  organisation  of  the  Red  Cross  Society 
has  shown  itself  now ; and  the  indefatigable  efforts  of 
doctors  and  nurses  have  certainly  allayed  much  suf- 
fering and  saved  many  lives. 

I hardly  know  Dr.  Hashimoto,  the  director  of  the 
Red  Cross  Hospital.  He  is  utterly  devoted  to  his  work, 
and  never  goes  out ; neither  does  his  colleague.  Dr. 
Takagi,  of  the  Charity  Hospital ; but  I have  been 
brought  more  often  into  contact  with  him.  He  took 
me  over  the  wards  the  first  time  I went  there,  and 
explained  to  me  the  evolution  of  that  extraordinary 


332 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


A RELIEF  CAMP 

disease  kakke^  which  seems  to  be  a purely  Japanese 
ailment.  The  muscles  of  the  legs  become  useless,  with- 
out any  symptoms  of  paralysis,  and  gradually  w^aste 
away,  leaving  the  limb  cold  and  shrivelled.  The  disease 
attacks  men,  and  hard-working  men  more  than  any  other 
class  of  the  community,  and  is  frequent  in  districts 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


333 


where  the  people  live  on  rice  alone  as  their  staple  food. 
My  amah  tells  me  that  in  her  province,  where  a kind 
of  rough  oatmeal  is  mixed  with  the  food,  the  disease 
is  almost  unknown.  The  soldiers  suffer  from  it  a good 
deal ; but  it  is  hoped  that  the  meat  diet  lately  introduced 
in  alternation  with  the  native  rice  and  fish  food  will 
do  much  to  overcome  the  weakness.  In  the  navy  the 
men  are  generously  fed  on  meat,  rather  to  then*  own 
distaste,  but  very  much  to  their  physical  well-being. 
I think  I told  you  that  Count  Saigo,  the  Minister  of 
Marine,  is  a firm  believer  in  Europeap  food  methods, 
and  carries  them  out  in  his  own  family. 

At  Karuizawa,  or  rather  about  a mile  away  from 
the  village,  in  a pretty  gorge,  is  a little  spring  of  warm 
mineral  water  which  is  supposed  to  be  very  beneficial 
to  kakke  patients  ; and  numbers  of  soldiers  from  some 
military  hospital  used  to  be  sent  up  to  bathe  there. 
They  were  lodged  in  the  inn,  and  seemed  to  be  under 
no  especial  control ; but  a milder,  gentler  set  of  fellows  it 
would  be  impossible  to  find.  They  made  friends  with 
every  child  in  the  village;  and  as  soon  as  they  grew  a 
little  stronger  would  generally  carry  a baby  friend  about 
with  them.  They  used  to  go  off  in  bands  of  nine  or  ten 
at  a time  to  the  little  tumble-down  bath-house  in  the 
gorge  ; they  were  all  dressed  in  a dark-blue  yucata,  with 
the  number  of  their  regiment  worked  on  it  in  red,  straw 
loaraji  on  their  feet,  and  nothing  by  any  chance  on  their 
heads  except  the  shock  of  bristling  black  hair  which  is 
induced  by  the  constant  practice  of  shaving  the  head  in 
childhood.  How  often  in  our  queer  journeys  I have  seen 


334 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


the  careful  mother  shaving  her  baby’s  head  while  he  was 
asleep  ! The  little  one  never  stirred ; and  when  the  pro- 
cess was  over,  the  mother  would  reach  out  for  the  small 
green  mosqnito  net,  supported  on  split  bamboos,  and  put 
it  down  over  the  baby  in  a safe  square,  and  then  creep 
away  to  her  household  work.  This  shaving  is  very 
irritating  to  the  poor  infant’s  skin,  and  induces  forms 
of  eczema  the  most  distressing  and  obstinate.  The  nuns 
have  no  end  of  trouble  in  this  way  with  the  children 
brought  to  them. 

In  going  over  the  Charity  Hospital,  the  University 
Hospital,  or  that  of  the  Red  Cross  (chiefly  devoted  to 
accidents  and  surgical  cases),  one  sees  none  of  the 
anomalies  that  I have  noticed  in  some  of  those  conducted 
on  more  elementary  lines.  No  infectious  or  contagions 
diseases  are  received  in  the  wards  devoted  to  ordinary 
patients  ; the  nurses  are  admirably  trained,  and  if  wanting 
in  initiative  to  meet  a sudden  responsibility,  are  at  any 
rate  religiously  obedient  to  the  doctors,  and  invariably 
kind  to  the  patients.  I have  had  many  sieges  of  illness 
since  I came  (the  climate  is  anything  but  favourable  to 
the  highly  nervous  organisation  of  the  European  woman) ; 
but  I have  been  partly  repaid  for  these  by  the  delight 
and  amusement  of  making  the  acquaintance  of  one  who 
is  now  a real  friend  — my  first  Japanese  trained  nurse. 
I shall  never  forget  the  day  when  she  first  loomed  on  my 
astonished  vision. 

She  was  barely  four  feet  high,  her  complexion  was 
dark  in  the  extreme,  her  feet  were  incased  in  white 
linen  socks  with  divided  toes,  and  shod  with  dainty 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


335 


str?vW  sandals  with  green  velvet  straps.  Her  figure,  the 
shape  of  a very  soft  feather  pillow  which  has  been  hung 
up  by  one  end  for  days,  was  draped  in  a tight-fitting 
white  apron  with  a large  bib,  and  she  was  kept  inside 
her  buttonless  and  stringless  clothes  by  a cruelly  tight 
and  wide  leather  belt  put  on  over  apron  and  all.  Into 
this  belt,  holding  her  breath  for  a long  time  first,  she 
could,  with  a great  effort,  push  her  fat  silver  watch,  her 
clinical  thermometer,  two  or  three  yards  of  a Japanese 
letter  (which  she  would  read,  a foot  at  a time,  when 
she  thought  I was  asleep),  her  carefully  folded  paper 
pocket-handkerchief,  and  the  relentless  little  register 
in  which  she  noted  down,  from  right  to  left,  strange 
cabalistic  signs,  with  which  she  and  the  doctor  conjured 
every  morning  till  they  knew  all  the  sins  my  pulse  and 
temperature  had  been  committing  for  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours.  Her  name  was  O’Tora  San  (Honourable 
Tiger  Miss),  but  her  ways  were  those  of  the  softest 
and  most  harmless  pussy  that  ever  purred  on  a domestic 
hearthrug,  and  oh,  what  a nurse  she  was ! So  gentle, 
so  smiling,  so  very  delightfully  sorry  for  one  ! It  was 
quite  worth  being  ill  to  revel  in  such  seas  of  sympathy. 
I have  often  caught  the  tears  running  down  her  little 
brown  nose  when  the  poor  Okusama  was  extra  bad ; 
and  through  long  nights  of  pain  has  she  stood  by  my 
bed,  or  sat  on  her  heels  on  a corner  of  it,  fanning  me 
ceaselessly  with  the  all  but  imperceptible  flutter  of  the 
fan’s  edge  — a movement  only  possible  for  those  wonder- 
fully sensitive  Japanese  fingers,  but  most  refreshing  to 
the  fanned  one. 


336 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


When  it  was  time  for  her  to  have  her  meals,  my  chief 
maid,  0’ Matsu,  a dainty-looking  princess  of  nature  her- 
self, would  creep  into  the  room,  having  shed  her  sandals 
at  the  door,  and,  after  inquiring  about  my  health,  would 
make  a deep  and  graceful  obeisance  to  the  Honourable 
Tiger  Miss,  and  inform  her  in  a respectful  whisper  that 
her  honourable  dinner  was  ready.  The  polite  little  Tiger 
would  jump  up,  return  the  bow,  ask  my  leave  to  depart, 
and  slip  out  to  feed  on  fish,  pickles  (such  dreadfully 
strong-smelling  pickles !),  and  rice,  washed  down,  as 
they  say*  in  the  Waverley  Novels,  by  thimblefuls  of 
green  tea  or  fish  soup.  After  about  fifteen  minutes  of 
solid  feeding  she  would  return,  come  to  my  bedside, 
and  express  her  gratitude  for  the  meal  supplied  to  her. 
Then  she  would  drop  down  on  her  cushion  in  the  corner, 
and  with  the  calm  unconventionality  peculiar  to  her  race 
let  out  a couple  of  holes  in  the  leather  belt.  Another 
polite  summons  would  be  brought  to  her  with  more  bows 
at  about  eight  o’clock  every  evening,  when  the  Japanese 
bath  in  the  back  yard  had  been  heated  to  boiling-point. 
O’Tora  San  was  always  invited  to  take  first  wash,” 
before  even  No.  1 boy,  amah,  or  chief  cook.  This  was 
a great  compliment,  for  the  hierarchy  downstairs  took 
its  bath  according  to  rank  with  as  much  exactness  and 
punctilio  as  if  its  members  had  been  ambassadors  being 
received  at  Court. 

O’Tora  San  had  the  real  nurse’s  gift  for  feeling 
the  time,  and  waking  at  the  right  hour  ; and  for  eight 
days  and  nights  I think  she  never  failed  to  come  to 
my  bedside  every  two  hours  to  replenish  the  ice-bags 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


337 


A TRAINED  NURSE 


in  which  I lay.  Once  she  had  to  go 
away  for  two  days  for  some  family 
reason,  and  was  replaced  by  a dreadful 
person,  who  had  never  nursed  in  a Euro- 
pean house  before,  who  did  not  know 
a warming-pan  from  a smelling-bottle, 
and  who  further  irritated  me  by  read- 
ing endless  Japanese  newspapers  printed 
backwards  on  pink  paper.  How  glad  I 
was  when  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second 
day  my  little  Tiger  returned,  smil- 
ing sweetly  as  usual,  with  an  enor- 
mous sheaf  of  Japanese  pinks  in 
her  hand,  and  looking  so  nice  in  her 
own  soft  grey  silk  kimono  and  sash, 
instead  of  the  hideous  hospital  apron  and  leather  belt. 

Many  of  the  Japanese  trained  nurses  have  come 
under  the  influence  of  Canadian  Methodist  missionaries, 
and  their  phraseology  is  sometimes  startling  in  the 
extreme.  A colleague  of  my  little  Tiger  was  nursing 
a friend  of  mine,  the  wife  of  an  American  clergyman. 
O’ Take  San  (Honourable  Bamboo  Miss)  was  rather 
pretty,  and  on  being  questioned  admitted  that  she  had 
been  married  — once.  My  friend  became  all  sympathy, 
expecting  to  hear  of  early  widowhood  and  a broken 
heart.  She  asked  timidly  what  had  become  of  the 
husband.  She  was  electrified  by  the  answer.  ^^Wal” 
(O’Take  San  had  an  aggressive  twang,  acquired  with 
much  care),  I guessed  he  didn’t  love  his  Saviour 
’nough,  so  I sent  him  right  away.  See?” 


VOL.  II 


Z 


338 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


I will  add  here  two  little  letters  which  I received 
from  O’Tora  San  and  a friend  of  hers,  written  to  bid 
me  farewell  in  the  summer  of  the  next  year.  The 
first  is  from  O’Tora  herself,  and  wonderfully  well-spelt 
and  written: 

“Tokyo  Charity  Hospital. 

My  Honourable  Madam,  — I have  a great  honour  to  get  an 
opportunity  to  write  you.  I am  very  sorry  that  I could  not  meet 
you  before  you  leave  Japan.  Indeed,  I was  always  thinking  to 
visit  you ; but  as  my  body  is  not  free  as  a nurse,  I could  not  succeed 
my  purpose.  Once  I had  been  at  Yokohama  as  a nurse,  my  engagement 
was  finished,  and  I returned  Tokyo.  Alas  ! you  were  not  in  Tokyo. 
Will  there  be  no  time  to  meet  you  again  ? If  my  thought  goes  so 
far  as  this  point,  I always  burst  into  tears.  Madam,  permit  my 
negligency.  If  I may  have  an  honour  to  receive  your  letter,  I shall 
be  very  much  obliged  of  you,  and  will  keep  it  as  long  as  my  life  as 
the  memory  of  yours.’’ 

O’Tora’s  friend,  to  whom  I had  been  able  to  show 
some  trifling  kindness,  wrote  more  than  once  to  thank 
me.  Indeed,  one  often  feels  very  small  at  accepting  the 
lasting  and  effusive  gratitude  with  which  little  services 
or  gifts  are  received.  Her  letter  runs  thus,  and  shows 
that  she  had  come  under  missionary  influence : 

My  Honourable  Madam,  — I have  great  honour  to  write  you. 
. . . Miss  Matsui  (O’Tora  San)  told  me  that  you  were  ill,  so  I was 
quite  astonished,  and  tried  to  visit  you ; but,  alas  ! you  were  then  for 
Europe.  I therefore  have  nothing  for  you  but  only  to  welcome  you 
again  in  Japan.  I am  sure  that  you  will  be  again  in  our  country. 
I am,  madam,  working  at  hospital,  and  for  me  nurse  is  suitable. 
For  the  glory  of  Almighty  Father  I am  eagerly  studying  nursing.  . . . 
Indeed,  our  hospital  is  just  like  some  Christian  school;  Rev.  Wada, 
pastor  of  Shiba  Church,  gives  us  important  sermons  every  Saturday 
evening,  and  we  are  to  attend  Church  every  Sunday  morning,  and  in 


LETTEKS  EKOM  JAPAN 


339 


the  evening  there  are  Bible  lessons  constructed  for  us.  . . . My 
heart  is  filled  with  joy  and  thanks.  . . . By  God’s  mercy  I am  quite 
healthy  and  strong  in  spirit  and  body.  Some  day  when  I get  lei- 
sure, if  you  return,  I shall  have  an  honour  to  visit  and  thank  your 
kindness  orally. 

remain,  dear  Madam,  always 

Your  faithful  servant, 

^^Sawa  Tanaka.” 


CHAPTER  XL 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  KANIN  AND  PRINCESS  CHIYE 
SANJO.  — THE  WEDDING  DINNER  AND  THE  WEDDING 
CAKE.  — THE  STORY  OF  THE  SUN-GODDESS.  — BUDDHIST- 
AND  SHINTO  NUNS.  — AN  IMPERIAL  ABBESS 


HE  end  of  the  year  was  marked  by  the  marriage 


of  young  Princess  Sanjo  (her  name  is  Chiye)  to 
Prince  Kotohito  Kanin,  one  of  the  Imperial  Princes, 
who  has  spent  some  years  in  France  studying  naval 
matters.  The  wedding  itself  was  conducted  in  private ; 
but . a great  dinner  was  given  in  the  evening  at  the 
Aoyama  Palace,  to  which  we  all  went.  There  were 
most  of  the  Imperial  Princes  and  Princesses,  crowds 
of  officials  and  colleagues,  and  the  whole  thing  was 
rather  brilliant.  It  was  so  funny  to  be  solemnly  pre- 
sented anew  to  the  little  bride,  and  to  make  her  the 
profound  curtseys  which  the  royalties  here  expect.  I 
am  afraid  we  both  laughed ; and  when  the  ceremony 
was  over,  she  made  room  for  me  on  the  sofa,  and  we 
had  a good  talk.  She  looked  quite  charming  in  her 
first  white  brocade,  her  first  diamonds;  and  the  little 
new  airs  of  dignity  sat  very  prettily  on  her,  I thought. 
She  never  Avent  to  these  solemn  evening  parties  before. 


January,  1892. 


340 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


341 


the  Japanese  not  expecting  girls  to  appear  at  them ; 
and  I should  think  it  must  have  been  rather  an  ordeal 
to  have  to  receive  such  a number  of  people  at  once. 
All  through  the  long  dinner,  the  first  she  had  ever  at- 
tended, she  was  as  gay  and  composed  as  if  she  had 
been  doing  nothing  else  all  her  life,  and  some  of  us 
remembered  her  wonderful  fortitude  and  courage  after 
the  death  of  her  father  last  year.  Her  mother  has 
never  quite  recovered  her  strength  since  the  blow ; 
and  Princess  Chiye  tells  me  that  she  has  had  a great 
deal  to  do  for  her  four  little  sisters,  who  look  to  her 
for  guidance  as  well  as  companionship,  and  who  will 
miss  her  sorely  now  that  she  has  been  carried  off  to 
a palace  of  her  own. 

The  young  Prince,  the  bridegroom,  might  be  taken  as 
a typical  representative  of  the  old  Japanese  aristocracy. 
His  slight  figure,  delicate  and  beautiful  features,  his 
tiny  hands  and  feet,  all  make  him  one’s  ideal  of  the 
mediaeval  boy  Emperor,  kept  from  all  contact  with  the 
rough  realities  of  life,  served,  worshipped,  and  — irrevo- 
cably enslaved.  But  Prince  Kanin  is  a free  man,  and 
his  erect  bearing,  clear  voice,  and  flashing  eye  show 
that  there  is  nothing  of  weakness  below  the  slight  and 
boyish  exterior.  He  is  immensely  interested  in  his 
own  profession,  and  ambitious  to  see  the  Japanese  navy 
put  on  the  most  efficient  and  splendid  footing.  His 
French  is  fluent  and  clear;  and  through  the  long  wed- 
ding dinner,  where  I had  the  honour  of  being  his  neigh- 
bour, he  talked  well  of  many  things,  and  thanked  me  for 
what  he  chose  to  call  the  kindness  I had  shown  to  the 


342 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


Princess  in  these 
past  years.  The 
dinner  was  long, 
but  admirably  well 
clone,  and  the  flow- 
ers, all  carefully 
chosen  as  the  lucky 
and  joyous  ones, 
most  exquisite.  In 
all  the  decorations 
the  beloved  pine 
branches,  with  lit- 
tle cranes  and  tor- 
toises perched  on 
them,  were  freely 
used;  the  wedding 
cake  was  an  ar- 
tistic presentment 

PRINCE  KOTOHITO  KANIN  ^ 

of  Fuji  San,  pure 

white,  with  little  pine  trees  and  the  lucky  animals 
climbing  round  its  base.  After  a great  reception  which 
followed  the  dinner  was  over,  and  the  royalties  had 
retired,  I told  the  Prince’s  grand  maitre  that  in  Eng- 
land a wedding  cake  was  always  cut  up  and  distributed 


THE  prince’s  autograph 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


343 


among  the  guests.  This  was  evidently  a new  idea ; 
but  it  was  at  once  adopted  with  enthusiasm.  The  grand 
maUre  made  the  first  incision,  and  then  handed  the 
knife  to  me,  as  if  uncertain  whether  I wanted  half  or 
a quarter  of  the  enormous  thing  to  take  home  with  me. 
However,  he  was  not  long  in  doubt ; and  the  moment  I 
had  cut  a tiny  wedge,  all  the  other' women  present  came 
and  begged  for  a piece.  Sheets  of  the  pretty  Court  paper 
were  produced,  and  when  I went  away  I carried  off 
a little  pine  tree,  a white  crane,  and  a green  tortoise, 
as  well  as  the  flowers  and  bonbon-box  which  I had 
found  at  my  place.  The  tortoise  is  a most  enchanting 
creation,  with  a great  flat  back,  a beseeching  waggly 
head,  and  a long  tail  of  pure  green  silk,  which  distin- 
guishes him  from  all  other  tortoises  as  the  only  one 
symbolic  of  riches.  The  pine  is  for  happiness,  the  crane 
for  long  life.  I hope  dear  little  Princess  Chiye  will 
have  both! 

And  now,  in  these  winter  days,  what  can  I tell 
you  that  you  have  not  heard  already  ? For  this  is 
my  third  winter  in  Yedo,  and  I begin  to  fear  that  I 
have  related  enough  to  weary  you  of  all  its  ways  and 
customs.  On  the  principle  which  used  to  make  you 
read  the  accounts  of  Arctic  expeditions  in  our  Roman 
Junes,  shall  I tell  you  the  story  of  the  sun-goddess. 


THE  princess’s  AUTOGRAPH 


344 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAX 


the  mother  of  all  Japan,  to  whom  even  our  Emperor 
Mutsiihito  in  this-  year  of  grace  1892  traces  his 
descent  ? 

Do  you  remember  the  story  of  Izanami  and  Izanagi, 
in  which  the  precedence  of  man  was  established  for  ever  ? 
The  conditions  seem  to  have  been  too  hard  for  poor 
goddess  Izanagi ; for  she  soon  afterwards  died,  and  went 
down  into  Hades  like  any  other  woman.  Izanami  was 
heart-broken,  and  made  up  his  mind  to  wm  her  back ; 
and  he  descended,  shuddering,  into  the  place  of  death. 
The  presence  of  corruption  was  intolerable  to  the  young 
god,  who,  unlike  our  Orpheus,  turned  and  fled  from 
the  shadow-land  without  having  found  his  wife ; and 
when  he  reached  the  light  again,  sought  but  for  one 
thing — water  wherewith  he  could  purify  himself  from 
the  contaminations  of  the  pit.  So  he  ran  gladly  to  a 
beautiful  stream  on  a fair  island,  and  quickly  he  stripped 
himself  of  his  clothes  and  plunged  into  the  water.  But 
so  great  was  his  power  and  vuTue,  that  even  from  his 
clothes  and  his  staff,  as  he  threw  them  on  the  ground, 
were  born  comely  gods  and  goddesses  ; full-grown  they 
came,  and  stood  smiling  and  making  reverence  to  theff 
august  father  who  was  still  sporting  in  the  water  like 
a heavenly  fish.  And  from  the  water  that  washed  his 
right  eye  was  born  the  moon,  the  Lord  of  Night,  and 
Izanami  could  hardly  look  at  him  for  his  white  bright- 
ness, and  he  dashed  the  water  over  his  left  eye  as  he 
covered  his  face  with  his  hands ; and  then  suddenly 
the  flood  which  had  been  cool  against  his  bare  limbs 
became  warm,  and  he  tried  to  open  his  eyes,  and  dared 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


345 


:5?. 


not,  feeling  that  there  was  that  without  which  would 
blind  them.  But  at  last  he  grew  more  courageous,  and 
as  he  felt  warmer  and  warmer  he 
looked  up,  and  saw  a wonder : that 
which  had  been  born  from  the  washing 
of  his  left  eye  was  the  Fair  Shining 
of  Day,  the  sun-goddess  Amaterasu. 

She  was  so  beautiful,  that,  from  her, 
beauty  spread  in  waves  on  the  world 
around.  On  the  water  she  stood,  with 
golden  feet  that  pressed  but  sank  not 
through  the  waves ; her  stature  was 
very  great,  and  her  hands  were  shed- 
ding living  gold-dust  on  the  river  and 
the  sea  and  the  mountains ; and  her 
hair  stood  out  round  her  in  a wheel  of 
flame,  whose  points  reached  to  heaven 
above,  and  to  the  edge  of  the  world 
around  her;  and  her  breath  was  like 
fire  of  fragrant  incense,  so  that  wher- 
ever she  turned  her  face  flowers  grew 
up  in  the  land  of  the  gods.  But  Iza-^ 
nami  feared  to  be  burnt,  and  once  more 
plunged  his  face  in  the  water  in  which 
he  stood ; and  when  he  raised  his 
face,  drops  fell  from  his  nostrils,  and 
became  another  god,  the  god  of  wind 
and  tempest,  of  gentle  breezes  and  of  fearful  storms,  and 
his  name  is  the  Impetuous  Susanoo.  And  he  cooled 
the  air  with  his  breath,  so  that  Izanami  could  look  on  the 


3IOON  PANEL  (iN  GOLD 

lacquer) 


346 


LETTERS  ERO:\r  JAPAN 


sun-goddess  unhurt ; and  Izanami  cried,  Happy  am  I, 
with  three  such  beautiful  children  — the  Possessor  of 
Night,  the  Impetuous  Man,  and  Amaterasu,  tlie  goddess 
of  the  sun  ! ” 

But  the  Impetuous  Man,  Susanoo,  liked  it  not  that 
his  sister  Amaterasu  should  be  greater  and  fairer  than 
he ; and  he  complained  to  his  father  Izanami,  saying. 

Thou  for  thine  au- 
gust self  didst  estab- 
lish precedence  over 
my  august  mother. 
How  is  it,  then,  that 
my  sister,  who  is  but 
a woman,  should 
have  all  this  glory?  ” 
And  Izanami,  who 
had  forgotten  the 
days  of  his  youth, 
was  very  angry,  and 
bade  him  depart 
MOON  AND  MIST  (GOLD  lacquer)  froiii  liis  pi'eseuce 

for  ever.  And  Susanoo  departed,  exceeding  sore  and 
angry ; and  went  to  pick  a quarrel  with  his  sister 
Amaterasu,  not  being  minded  to  leave  home  without 
also  leaving  trouble  behind  him. 

Amaterasu  came  out  proudly  to  meet  him,  and  they 
had  a trial  of  strength,  one  standing  on  each  bank  of 
the  river  of  milk.  Amaterasu  took  Susanoo’s  sword, 
and  bit  it  in  three  pieces,  and  ground  the  fragments 
with  her  teeth  j and  thereafter  opened  her  mouth,  and 


LETTEKS  EROM  JAPAN 


out  came  three  beautiful 
women,  with  the  sun 
on  their  faces,  and  cold, 
cold  steel  for  their  hearts. 

And  Amaterasu  said. 

Behold  the  women  of 
whom  thou  needest  have 
no  jealousy  ! Thou  who 
art  not  worthy  of  sis- 
ters, I give  thee  slaves  ! ” 

And  Susanoo  the  Impetuous 
said,  Better  than  that  can  I 
do  ! The  sun-goddess  can  make 
slaves,  but  I,  the  storm-wind, 
make  warriors  ! ” And  he  tore 
the  jewels  from  her  neck  and 
arms,  and  the  jewels  from  her 
hair ; and  he  ground  them  to 
dust  in  his  sharp  teeth,  and  then 
blew  the  dust  out  on  the  air ; 
and  it  floated  across  the  River 
of  Peace,  and  fell  on  the  farther 
shore  at  the  feet  of  the  sun- 
goddess,  and  rose  up  — five  tall 
warrior-gods,  great  men  of  val- 
our, fully  armed  with  heavenly 
armour.  And  Amaterasu  laughed. 


and  said,  ^^^yell  hast  thou  done, 
my  brother ! Slaves  to  thee, 
warriors  to  me  ! ” And  she  car- 


PRAYER  BEADS.  AMONG 
SACRED  TREASURES 
ISE 


348 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


ried  away  the  five  war-gods  to  her  home ; and  Susanoo 
planned  another  revenge,  seeing  that  she  had  shamed 
him  again. 

Now  Amaterasii  was  in  truth  a wise  goddess ; and 
although  she  could  battle  valiantly  if  need  be,  yet  she 
loved  her  woman’s  work  best,  and,  after  her  quarrel 
with  Susanoo,  came  home,  and  dropped  her  shining 
war  garments,  and  crept  into  the  great  hall  clad  only 
in  a trail  of  mist,  and  sat  down  meekly  at  her  loom 
among  her  maidens,  who  were  weaving  silently  long 
garments  of  rosy  gold  for  the  next  day’s  dawn.  And 
Amaterasu  sat  at  her  loom  above  the  rest ; its  beams 
were  pillars  of  stars,  its  shuttle  a shooting  star ; and 
the  warp  she  wove  was  blue  and  the  woof  was  gold. 

Then  suddenly  a great  rending  noise  was  heard, 
and  Susanoo  tore  open  the  roof  of  the  house ; and 
before  Amaterasu  could  spring  from  her  place,  he 
flung  over  her  and  her  weaving  a grisly  covering, 
black  and  white  and  dropping  gouts  of  blood,  the 
skin  of  a piebald  horse  which  he  had  flayed  from  tail 
to  head.  Wildly  the  maidens  screamed,  and  ran  from 
their  places.  Amaterasu  fled  from  her  weaving  more 
swiftly  than  the  shuttle  threads  the  loom,  and  she  ran 
and  hid  herself  in  a cave,  and  pulled  a stone  before 
the  door.  Then  was  the  world  in  darkness,  and  reed- 
growing Japan  became  a kingdom  of  the  night. 

Terrible  was  the  confusion  that  followed.  All  the 
powers  of  evil  were  let  loose ; and  in  the  noise  they 
made  in  their  fancied  triumph  it  was  hard  for  the 
righteous  gods  to  speak.  But  these  gathered  together 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


349 


in  the  bed  of  the  River  of  Tranquillity,  which  runs 
through  the  plains  of  Heaven ; and  they  talked  long 
and  earnestly,  trying  to  discover  a plan  by  which  they 
could  induce  the  sun-goddess  to  return  and  rescue  the 
universe  from  the  darkness  in  which  it  was  plunged. 

Will  she  not  come  out,  if  we  show  her  beautiful 
• garments,”  said  they,  and  gems  to  take  the  place  of 
those  which  Susanoo  ground  to  powder  ? ” So  they 

planted  mulberry  trees,  and  made  shining  garments  of 
their  bark  and  hemp,  and  made  inner  garments  for 
the  goddess  from  the  fibre ; gems,  too,  they  found, 
green  and  blue  and  white,  and  these  they  polished 
and  made  into  necklaces  and  bracelets  : but  the  goddess 
remained  hidden,  and  would  not  come  out.  Then  they 
built  her  a palace  of  heavenly  architecture,  and  filled 
it  with  beautiful  adornments,  and  called  to  her  to  come 
forth  and  behold  it ; but  she  would  not.  And  the  gods 

were  in  despair;  for  the  world  was  still  dark. 

Then  there  came  a god,  small  and  old,  but  wondrous 
wise,  and  he  is  called  the  Thinker,  for  all  thoughts 
that  ever  were  in  the  world  are  in  his  heart  first ; and 
he  laughed  softly  in  his  white  beard  at  all  the  plans 
of  the  young  gods.  Clumsy  and  halt  are  all  your 
efforts,”  he  said  to  them.  You  say  to  her,  ^ Behold, 

here  are  jewels,  and  here  is  a palace ; look,  0 Ama- 

terasu ! ’ Not  so  will  the  goddess  heed  you ; little  she 
cares  for  that  she  knows  of.  ’Tis  that  she  knoweth 
not  of,  that  she  longs  to  know,  which  will  draw  her 
from  her  cave ! I will  teach  you  the  ways  of  the 
August  Female  Deity ! ” 


350 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


So  the  Thinker  called  Amatsiimori,  the  blacksmith 
of  the  gods,  and  he  caused  him  to  hammer  out  a mirror; 
and  this  Avas  the  first  mirror  that  Avas  eA^er  fashioned. 

Amatsumori  made  it  out 
of  iron  that  had  fallen 
from  HeaA' en ; and  he 
hammered  and  smelted 
and  polished,  and  ham- 
mered and  polished  again, 
till  he  had  made  the  mir- 
ror AA^orthy  to  reflect  the 
unbearable  beauty  of  the 
sun-goddess. 

And  then  the  gods 
took  all  the  gifts  that 
they  had  made,  and 
hung  the  garments  and 
jeAA^els  on  a tree  like  a 
standard ; and  they  car- 
ried the  mirror  also,  and 
came  to  the  door  of  the 
caA^e.  Far  to  the  north 
it  lay,  in  a land  of  ice 
and  darkness ; and  the 
door  Avas  dosed  AAuth  a 
huge  grey  stone.  When  they  reached  it,  they  made  a 
great  fire  to  AA^arm  themseh^es  — for  Amaterasu’s  going 
had  left  them  cold  — and  then  they  began  to  sing  and 
make  merry,  eA^en  as  the  Thinker  commanded. 

Music  came  from  the  strings  of  boAvs ; a bamboo 


THE  GOD  WHO  IS  CALLED  THE  THINKER 


LETTEKS  FKOM  JAPAN 


351 


greiv  up  hollow  to  make  a flute;  and  a little  goddess 
called  Uzuine,  young  and  light  of  foot,  began  a joyous 
dance  on  a hollow^  drum,  which  gave  back  a note  for 
every  beat  of  her  little  feet.  And  as  she  danced  she 
sang,  a strange  song  with  many  meanings ; and  the  fire 
crackled,  and  the  bow-harp  and  the  flute  made  music, 
and  the  gods  burst  into  roars  of  laughter  at  Uzume’s 
wild  song;  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  cave  Amaterasu 
was  angry  first,  saying  to  herself,  '^jVh ! they  are  glad 
now  who  grieved  at  my  going.  Who  has  taken  my 
place,  I wonder  ? ” And  she  came  very  near  to  the 
door  and  listened,  and  could  make  nothing  out  of  the 
uproar ; and  her  woman’s  heart  said,  I must  know 
what  it  means  — if  I die  for  it ! ” 

So,  very  gently,  she  pushed  back  the  stone  a little 
way,  and  immediately  a beam  from  her  face  ran  athwart 
half  the  heavens,  and  she  saw  that  the  gods  were  rejoic- 
ing greatly.  Then  she  pushed  the  stone  a little  farther, 
and  cried  angrily,  How  is  it  that  you  rejoice  when 

I have  left  you?  How  can  Uzume  dance  and  sing 

when  darkness  lies  on  Japan,  and  none  can  see  his 
fellow  in  the  land  of  reeds  ? ” 

^^No  darkness  more,”  said  Uzume;  we  have  found 
a fairer  goddess  than  thou  ! Behold  I ” And  she  held  up 
the  great  mirror,  wherein  was  reflected  the  beautiful  face 
of  Amaterasu  herself,  with  her  eyes  like  the  midday,  and 
her  hair  a wheel  of  white  flame.  And  Amaterasu  crept 
nearer,  and  came  out  of  her  cav^e  to  gaze  on  her  own 
reflection;  and  as  she  did  so  the  strong  gods  hung  a straw 
rope  before  the  entrance,  the  rope  that  none  may  pass. 


352 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


So  they  persuaded  her  to  remain  among  them,  and 
to  live  in  the  palace  they  had  prepared.  And  although 
she  looks  longingly  at  her  cave  sometimes,  and  even 
goes  near  the  entrance  for  a few  short  days,  when  she 
sees  the  straw  rope  she  remembers  all  her  brother-  and 
sister-gods  who  loved  her  so  much,  she  remembers 
all  the  generations  of  her  children  in  the  land  of  reeds, 
and  she  turns  back  and  smiles  on  them  once  more, 
unwilling  to  leave  them  comfortless. 

And  in  time  Amaterasu  came  to  love  reed-growing 
Japan  more  than  all  the  plains  of  Heaven.  And  when 
there  was  a question  as  to  which  of  the  heavenly  deities 
should  go  down  to  rule  its  people,  Amaterasu  would 
have  sent  her  own  son ; but  he  said,  Nay,  I will  abide 
with  thee ; let  us  send  my  son,  Ninigi,  thy  august  grand- 
child.” And  to  Ninigi  Amaterasu  gave  the  three  sacred 
things  — the  mirror  of  the  heavenly  reflection  which  had 
lured  her  from  the  cave,  the  holy  sword,  and  the  sacred 
jewel,  telling  him  to  keep  them  for  ever;  and  as  to 
the  mirror,  she  said,  Hold  this  sacred,  for  it  is  my 
spirit.  In  thy  house  and  close  to  thee  let  it  dwell ; 
worship  it  as  thou  wouldst  worship  me.” 

Ninigi  obeyed;  and  so  did  his  grandson,  the  great 
Jimmu  Tenno,  the  founder  of  the  present  dynasty, 
which  has  reigned,  according  to  Japanese  chronology, 
for  over  two  thousand  years.  But  one  of  the  Emperors 
in  the  year  92  b.c.  thought  that  the  time  had  come 
to  house  the  sacred  treasures  in  a palace  of  their 
own,  and  he  built  the  first  of  the  shrines  of  Yamada 
in  Ise,  where  they  have  been  kept  ever  since.  The 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


353 


sanctuaries  of  Ise  (it  is  the  name  of  the  province) 
are  built  in  the  purest  Shinto  style,  of  plain  woods, 
with  the  fewest  possible  adornments ; they  are  not 
allowed  to  stand  more  than  twenty  years,  and  are 
always  renewed  after  exactly  the  same  pattern  in 
every  detail.  One  set  of  buildings  is  prepared  just 
before  the  expiration  of  the  period,  and  the  sacred 
emblems  in  their  centuple  coverings  are  removed  with 
tremendous  pomp  from  the  old  to  the^  new  temple,  the 
old  then  being  broken  up  and  sold  or  given  away  in 
minute  particles  as  charms.  The  Government  have 
been  bringing  out  a work  on  Ise,  with  most  perfect 
coloured  engravings  of  the  relics  kept  there. ^ The 
mirror  is  considered  too  sacred  to  be  looked  at,  and 
has,  it  is  said,  not  been  beheld  by  mortal  eyes  for 
many  centuries ; a new  cover  of  rich  silk  is  always 
put  over  the  old  one  when  this  begins  to  wear  out. 
The  Government  publication  has  superb  engravings  of 
ancient  swords,  musical  instruments,  prayer-beads,  and 
s tufts ; the  “jewels”^  so  constantly  spoken  of  are  frag- 
ments of  polished  stone  of  great  brilliancy,  shaped  very 
like  a human  ear,  and  pierced  with  a hole  as  if  to  hang 
on  a string.  The  shape  is  constantly  reproduced  in 
ornamental  designs,  and  to  my  mind  resembles  one  of 
the  eight  fairies  ” or  sacred  signs  of  China.  The 
resemblance  is  probably  fortuitous,  as  Shinto,  the  Way 
of  the  Gods,  is  not  supposed  to  have  borrowed  its 

1 1 have  all  that  has  appeared  of  the  work ; but  it  has  now  been 
stopped,  having  proved  fearfully  costly. 

2 A good  example  of  these  jewels  is  given  in  the  smaller  pendants  of 
the  necklace  shown  in  the  illustration  on  p.  347. 

2 A 


VOL.  II 


354 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


emblems  thence,  and  has  had  many  a fight  to  preserve 
and  recover  its  own  from  the  encroachments  of  Bud- 
dhism. In  many  places  the  two  faiths  have  been  welded 
into  one,  so  dear  and  familiar  to  the  ]3eople  that  no 
purification  ” can  dissociate  them  in  the  popular  mind. 
But  the  Ise  shrines  are  devoted  to  the  pure  Shinto 
worship ; and  are,  according  to  their  own  priests’  account, 
precisely  the  same  in  their  simple  form  and  short 
ceremonial  as  they  were  two  thousand  years  ago. 

For  many  centuries,  I believe,  a Princess  of  the 
Imperial  family  was  always  the  High-priestess  of  Ise 
living  as  a nun,  and  devoting  herself  to  the  care  of  the 
sacred  regalia  and  the  worship  of  the  sun-goddess. 

This  brings  me  to  the  subject  of  nuns,  both  Buddhist 
and  Shinto,  who  have  interested  me  greatly,  when  from 
time  to  time  I have  come  across  dear  old  ladies  with 
shining  shaven  heads  going  in  and  out  of  the  temples. 
These  are,  I fancy,  merely  widows,  who  have  vowed 
not  to  marry  again,  and  who  spend  most  of  their  time 
in  praying  for  their  dead.  There  are  two  kinds  of 
Buddhist  nuns,  called  the  Professional  and  the  Un- 
professional. The  Unprofessional  nuns  are  (and  were 
always)  the  widows  of  men  of  a certain  position  and 
standing.  They  do  not,  as  a rule,  leave  their  homes  ; 
but  having  vowed  not  to  marry  again,  they  remain  faith- 
ful to  the  vow,  and  devote  all  that  is  left  of  life  to 
prayer  before  the  family  shrine,  or  hutsudan.  Here  the 
mortuary  tablet  of  the  dead  man  is  set  up,  and  before 
it  the  widow  makes  the  daily  offerings  of  food  in  the 
small  and  severely  plain  vessels  set  apart  for  such  a 


LETTEES  FECM  JAPAK 


355 


use.  Flowers  may  be  placed  there  too,  and  incense-sticks 
alight,  whose  fragrance  will  be  a solace  to  the  spirit, 
which  in  a true  yet  unexplained  manner  is  believed  to 
be  in  the  Meido,  the  land  of  shadows,  and  yet  in  the 
home  at  the  same  time.  The  worshipper  calls  to  it  by 
ringing  a little  bell,  just  as  in  the  temples  those  who 
would  pray  first  clap  their  hands,  to  ask  the  god  to  look 
and  listen,  as  my  poor  Ogita  used  to  say.  In  the  old 
feudal  days  of  Japan  the  wife  and  ^concubines  of  the 
Shogun  or  any  other  Daimyo  were  obliged  to  become 
nuns  after  their  husband’s  death ; the  wife  would  keep 
her  old  place  in  the  house,  but  the  concubines  lived  in 
another  building  together,  all  their  needs  being  supplied 
from  the  chief  house.  Both  wife  and  concubines  were 
expected  to  spend  most  of  their  time  in  praying  for  the 
dead.  You  remember  that  that  masterful  lady  Masako 
became  a nun  after  the  death  of  Yoritomo. 

The  Professional  nuns  live  very  strict  lives.  Besides 
the  vow  of  chastity,  they  promise  lifelong  abstinence 
from  flesh  meat  of  any  kind ; and  they  are  obliged  to 
assist  in  serving  in  the  temple  both  morning  and  even- 
ing. Great  misfortunes  and  reverses  would  often  send 
the  daughters  of  the  family  into  the  convent  in  past 
times ; where  leprosy  was  hereditary  the  daughters 
always  became  nuns ; and  sometimes  the  death  of  a 
betrothed  lover  would  drive  a heart-broken  girl  to  the 
refuge  of  the  kindly  convent,  where  she  would  never 
be  troubled  by  the  addresses  of  any  other  suitor. 

There  are  now,  I am  told,  very  few  temples  which 
have  nunneries  attached  to  them.  One  of  these,  how- 


356 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


ever,  is  at  Zenkoji,  not  far  from  our  summer  house  in 
Karuizawa.  It  was  established  in  very  early  times,  and 
the  present  abbess  is  a beautiful  w^oman  belonging  to 
a noble  family  in  Kyoto.  She  is  always  gorgeously 
robed  in  royal  purple.  Very  different  are  the  poorer 
Professional  nuns,  whom  one  sometimes  sees  about  the 
streets,  dressed  in  long  black  gowns,  their  faces  com- 
pletely hidden  by  their  enormous  hats,  and  ringing  a 
little  bell,  which  is  an  appeal  for  alms. 

But  for  the  bell  they  are  extraordinarily  like  the 
poor  Franciscans  who  have  an  orphanage  at  Sorrento, 
and  whom  I have  so  often  seen  going  round  in  their 
great  straw  hats  and  dark  robes,  generally  with  two 
or  three  small  girls  carrying  the  bundles  of  food  which 
had  been  bestowed  on  them.  Dear  old  things ! I could 
have  embraced  the  Japanese  recluses  for  their  sake ! 


CHAPTER  XLI 


A VISIT  TO  THE  MUSEUM.  — AN  ANCIENT  CAR.  — MY  GUIDE. 
— CHRISTIAN  RELICS.  — PERSECUTORS  AND  PERSECUTED. 
— AN  HOUR  IN  THE  ART  SCHOOL  AMONG  THE  LACQUER- 
WORKERS 


PRING  is,  after  all,  Japan’s  loveliest  season,  when 


the  country  smiles  and  weeps,  pales  and  flushes, 
like  a maid  decked  for  her  bridal.  I have  seen  it 
three  times  now,  and  yet  it  comes  as  a long-expected 
joy,  eagerly  watched  and  waited  for.  Everything 

seems  lovelier  than  usual  this  year ; and  though  my 
heart  has  made  a thousand  journeys  over  the  westward 
water,  and  Europe  is  drawing  me  with  irresistible 
compulsion,  yet  it  saddens  me  to  think  that  I shall 
not  see  the  cherries  bloom  next  year,  nor  the  wistaria 
arbour  flush  from  grey  to  purple,  sink  back  from  purple 
to  green.  I shall  not  write  many  letters  after  this, 
and  I am  wondering  which,  of  all  sights  and  scenes 
yet  undescribed,  you  would  rather  hear  of  on  this  soft 
spring  day. 

Did  I ever  tell  you  of  my  delightful  visit  to  the 
Uyeno  Museum  and  the  School  of  Art,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  director,  Mr.  Okakura  ? It  always 
seems  to  me  that,  if  I see  things  at  all,  I have  the 


April,  1892. 


357 


358 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


the  brilliant  sunshine  and  the  waves  of  cherry  blossom 
that  seemed  breaking  like  foam  through  the  dark 
branches  of  the  pines,  we  passed  to  the  twilight  dignities 
of  the  great  halls,  where  all  the  legacies  of  the  past  — 
weapons  of  war  and  robes  of  gold,  lutes  and  fans, 
swords  and  drinking-cups,  embroideries  and  lacquer 
and  enamel,  all  the  discarded  pomps  of  a splendour- 
loving  people  — are  gathered  and  set,  line  by  line,  case 
by  case,  as  if  for  burial.  There  is  something  strangely 


good  fortune  to  see  them  in  the  most  charming  way. 
The  Uyeno  Museum  is  a store-house  of  art  treasures 
and  historical  memories,  and  to  have  the  delightful  and 
learned  director  for  my  companion  there  was  a great 
joy.  It  was  one  morning  in  the  beginning  of  April 
that  I drove  up  through  the  flowery  avenues  to  the 
great  building  where  he  was  waiting  for  me.  From 


CHERRY  TREES  ON  THE  SUMIDA  RIVER 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


359 


like  death  in  the  still  untroubled  air  of  such  places  — air 
so  separate,  in  its  irrevocable  calm,  from  all  the  joy- 
ous pulsing  of  the  live  world  in  the  sunshine  without, 
so  sealed  and  set  apart  from  the  vibrating  existence 
of  to-day,  that  I almost  doubt  if  the  ghosts  (Japan 
is  full  of  ghosts)  of  those  who  made  these  things, 
and  who  doubtless  hang  round  them  still,  would 
acknowledge  a descendant,  a compatriot,  in  the  modern 
Japanese,  the  man  of  science,  who  took^me  past  them, 
and  told  me  in  quiet,  somewhat  scornful  tones  of  their 
histories  and  values. 

My  guide,  who  is  perhaps  the  greatest  existing 
authority  on  these  subjects,  was  dressed  in  his  own 
dignified  costume,  and  seemed  outwardly  in  harmony 
with  the  Japan  of  the  past.  He  has  large  brilliant 
eyes,  and  a low  clear  voice ; his  English  is  fluent  and 
complete.  He  rather  laughed  at  my  delight  over  the 
first  object  that  met  my  view,  a magnificent  bullock- 
cart,  which  used  to  be  the  Imperial  travelling  carriage. 
It  is  as  large  as  a small  room,  with  heavy  wheels, 
that  must  have  turned  with  august  slowness  over  the 
august  roads ; time  could  have  been  of  no  value  to 
the  august  travellers  then.  Heavy  beams  of  the  most 
splendid  black-and-gold  lacquer  support  a four-square 
tent  of  lacquer  and  carving,  with  jealous  curtains, 
heavily  tasselled  with  silk,  closing  the  openings  of 
the  front  and  sides.  Very  long  poles  run  out,  also 
in  lacquer ; and  these  were  attached  to  stout  white 
bullocks,  who  advanced,  step  by  step,  their  hoofs 
weighted  with  the  pride  of  drawing  the  Son  of  Heaven, 


360 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


who,  sitting  in  his  gilded  shrine,  and  passing  through  his 
fair  domains,  must  have  found  it  very  easy  to  believe  that 
he  had  the  makings  of  a deity  in  him,  at  all  events. 

Not  always  was  it  an  Emperor.  Sometimes  the 
car  was  surmounted  by  a golden  phoenix,  and  then 
the  brown  men  and  women  in  the  rice-fields  of  ^^reed- 
growing  Japan”  knew  that  their  Empress  was  passing 
by.  I have  a print,  a Japanese  print  of  the  last  century, 
full  of  figures  in  trails  of  purple  and  rose,  and  pale 
carmine  and  primrose  gold.  The  colouring  is  that  of 
the  iris  gardens  of  Hori  Kiri,  when  the  sun  is  setting 
softly  behind  the  translucent,  silky-bannered  ranks, 
shining  here  purple,  there  white,  there  gold  or  copper, 
as  the  flowers  grow.  And  in  the  crowd  of  lovely  figures 
there  are  movements  and  swayings  so  like  the  iris 
shapes  that  in  my  mind  I call  it  the  iris  picture.  Now 
the  central  thing  in  my  picture  is  the  Imperial  bullock- 
cart,  exactly  as  I found  it  in  the  Museum.  The  beautiful 
shape,  graceful  for  all  its  square  strength  and  roominess, 
is  hung  with  curtains  of  delicate  blinds,  each  held  in  place 
by  a great  tie  of  silk ; its  poles  have  that  splendid  curve 
of  strength  as  if  of  themselves  they  had  leapt  forward 
in  the  royal  service.  In  my  picture  the  phoenix  does  not 
crown  the  roof;  and  there  are  no  bullocks,  but  a crowd 
of  lovely  maidens,  gathering  close  round  their  Empress, 
who  has  descended  to  the  ground.  So  many  are  they, 
so  eager  to  serve  her,  that  I think  they  must  have  been 
trying  to  draw  the  cart  themselves ; but  if  so,  it  had 
been  too  much  for  their  slender  strength,  so  now  the 
Empress  stands  in  the  midst  of  them,  still  between  the 


THE  EMPRESS  . . . STANDS  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  THEM 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


363 


slmfts,  her  wonderful  drapery  blown  a little  about  by 
a rebel  wind,  her  beautiful  face  with  a sad  little  smile 
bent  down  on  her  breast,  where  her  two  hands  are 
trying  to  hold  her  splendid  robes  together.  You  can 
see  her  figure  swaying  to  the  wind.  And  the  girls, 
in  draperies  scarcely  less  splendid,  have  taken  each 
some  part  of  her  princely  baggage  : one  a crown  on  a 
cushion,  one  a jui^  or  fairy  sceptre,  one  her  bow,  one 
her  arrows ; others  carry  musical  instruments,  some  hold 
the  shafts  ; and  past  them  all  the  rebel  wind  is  sweeping, 
playing  with  streamer  and  gown,  and  causing  the  heads 
to  bend  for  fear  that  the  wonderful  wings  and  coils  of 
hair  should  be  set  straying  by  its  force ; and  to  it  they 
all  oppose  the  yielding  strength  of  the  iris.  Their  faces 
are  far  paler  than  their  robes,  and  in  my  picture  even 
these  are  fading  now,  so  I know  that  they  are  long 
dead  ; doubtless  the  wind  had  its  way  in  the  iris  garden. 

And  my  guide  wondered  that  I cared  to  stand  so 
long  looking  at  the  old  bullock-cart ! 

Well,  at  last  we  went  on,  and  he  led  me  through 
hall  after  hall  of  strange  things  : prehistoric  were  many 
of  them,  arrow-heads  and  knives,  and  spear-heads  in 
stone  — the  things  on  which  humanity  seems  to  have, 
so  to  speak,  cut  its  teeth  simultaneously  all  over  the 
world;  strings  of  those  strange  jewels”  the  macja- 
tama,  stones  curved  like  an  ear,  and  the  kuda-tama, 
like  straight  tubes,  worn  as  ornaments  once,  and  then 
coming  to  be  regarded  as  talismans  and  holy  things. 
Only  in  one  part  of  the  Emperor’s  dominions  does  their 
use  still  survive  — in  the  Loo-Choo  Islands,  where  many 


364 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


a grim  old  custom  is  carried  on  to  this  day.  Of  all 
living  races  that  I know  of,  the  Loo-Chooans  are  the 
only  people  who  have  the  courage  to  face  the  worst 
horrors  of  corruption  in  their  care  of  the  dead.  These 
are  laid  away  in  caves,  and  for  five  dreadful  years  it  is 
considered  the  duty  of  the  living  once  a year  to  take 
them  from  the  kindly  shroud  of  the  darkness,  bring 
them  to  the  light  and  wash  the  poor  remains,  then 
wrap  them  again  in  their  coverings,  and  lay  them  by. 
After  five  years  the  body  is  supposed  to  be  sufficiently 
reduced  to  be  put  in  boxes  and  placed  in  the  household 
shrines.  The  Japanese  Government  have  repeatedly 
forbidden  the  practice,  but  find  that  it  is  still  carried 
out  by  stealth,  to  the  great  danger  of  the  population 
after  any  epidemic.  I had  a curious  glimpse  of  some 
Loo-Choo  people  last  year,  which  I will  record  here,  as 
I think  I did  not  tell  you  of  it  at  the  time. 

I had  taken  a huge  party  of  children  and  young 
people  to  — switchback  in  Uyeno  Park  ! Yes,  a splendid 
switchback  was  set  up  under  lyeyasu’s  pines,  and  was 
much  patronised  by  the  Japanese.  Well,  just  as  my 
English  boys  and  girls  tumbled  out  on  the  platform 
after  their  third  ride,  a grave  party  of  Loo-Chooans 
came  and  paid  their  fee.  They  were  (as  we  found  out) 
well-to-do  merchants,  who  had  made  up  their  minds  to 
see  the  wonders  of  the  capital.  The  party  consisted  of 
two  middle-aged  men,  one  youth,  and  a most  reverend 
senior,  an  old  man  with  a beautiful  white  beard,  erect 
head,  and  piercing  dark  eyes.  All  the  men  had  larger 
eyes  and  smoother,  darker  skins  than  the  true  Japanese, 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


365 


A DAIMYO’S  3IEDICINE-BOX  A MEDICINE-BOX  (fRONT) 

IN  LACQUER  (bACk) 

tume,  but  not  enough  to  attract  attention.  All  my  gay 
young  people  stood  aside  to  let  the  strangers  have  their 
turn,  and  these  took  their  places  with  a solemnity  evi- 
dently mingled  with  awe.  The  old  man  sat  down  on 


and  much  of  the  gentle  look  of  the  Malayans.  In  their 
dress  a dark-purple  colour  predominated,  and  there  were 
some  slight  variations  from  the  ordinary  Japanese  cos- 


366 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


a front  seat,  and  spread  his  robes  in  geometrical  lines 
over  his  knees,  joined  his  hands  as  if  in  prayer,  and 
looked  straight  before  him.  The  younger  men  got  in, 
and  off  they  went  at  a breakneck  pace.  The  youth 
clutched  the  seat,  and  screamed ; the  middle-aged  men 
clutched  the  seat,  and  were  silent.  The  old  man  came 
back  precisely  as  he  had  gone  ; his  beard  was  nearly 
blown  off  his  face,  and  his  garments  were  all  over  the 
place,  but  he  had  never  turned  his  head  or  ceased  to  look 
solemnly  before  him,  and  his  hands  were  folded  as  if 
in  prayer.  My  young  people  made  an  entreaty  through 
our  interpreter  that  he  would  go  again.  The  sight  was 
entrancing  to  their  young  imaginations.  No,  thank  you. 
It  was  all  doubtless  most  clever  and  beautiful ; but  the 
gods  had  been  kind.  Let  us  not  presume  on  their 
favours.  Good-bye. 

I left  you  in  the  Uyeno  Museum,  you  say?  Did  I? 
Well,  the  switchback  is  only  just  outside! 

C’est  bien  cle  moi ! Quancl  je  clievauche 
L’h}q)pogriffe  au  pays  du  bleu, 

Mon  ame  sans  corps  se  debauche, 

Et  s’en  va  comme  il  plait  a Dieu ! 

You  must  take  my  stories  as  they  come,  or  not  at  all  1 
Yes,  I saw  many  things  that  day.  Are  not  the 
lists  of  them  in  the  helpful  pages  of  Murray,  written 
by  two  of  my  great  friends  ? The  director  asked  me 
if  we  cultivate  the  nose  in  Europe.  I turned  my 
profile  to  him  with  just  pride ; but  that  was  not  what 
he  meant.  The  art  of  smell  has  been  brought  to  its 
perfection  here;  and  I was  shown  little  bronze  burners 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


367 


in  which  one,  two,  three  — a dozen  different  kinds  of 
aromatic  stuff  can  be  burnt  at  once,  the  puzzled  guests 
being  required  to  name  every  ingredient  used.  At  one 
time  these  perfume  parties  were  very  popular,  and 
Mr.  Okakura  told  me  that  he  knew  people  who  could 
detect  each  and  every  perfume  of  any  combination, 
there  being  over  fifty  kinds  of  incense  in  all. 


A GOLD  LACQUERED  CASKET  OF  THE  EARLIEST  PERIOD 

Then  I stood  for  long  by  the  relics  of  the  Japanese 
embassy  to  Rome,  when  the  great  Daimyo  of  Sendai, 
Date  Masamune,  sent  one  of  his  nobles  with  a huge 
train  of  followers  to  acknowledge  the  supremacy  of  the 
Pope,  and  to  ask  for  his  prayers  and  assistance.  There 
is  an  oil-painting  of  the  ambassador,  in  early  seventeenth- 
century  costume,  praying  with  folded  hands  before  a 


368 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


crucifix;  in  a case  are  various  objects  of  devotion — • 

rosaries,  crucifixes,  and  so  on;  and  close  by  are  the 

horrible  blocks  of  metal,  generally  stamped  with  a 

crucifix,  which  in  the  persecutions  were  laid  down 

before  the  feet  of  those  suspected  to  be  Christians 
— they  must  walk  over  these  or  die.  How  many 
thousands  refused,  how  many  pure  souls  left  their 
martyred  bodies  to  their  enemies,  how  many  delicate 
women  and  little  children  kept  their  faith  and  lost  their 
lives,  we  can  hardly  tell.  Christianity ' was  stamped 
out  as  a national  religion ; but  I think  the  martyrs 
prayed  for  their  beloved  country,  cruel  as  it  had  been 
to  them.  And  a little  germ  was  kept  alive.  Nearly 
thirty  years  ago,  some  missionaries  landing  near 
Nagasaki  found  whole  villages  hidden  away  in  the 
hills  by  the  sea,  where  the  old  prayers  were  still  said 
just  as  they  had  been  learnt  two  centuries  before, 
where  baptism  was  administered  and  marriages  and 
burials  prayed  over  faithfully,  although  never  a priest 
had  set  foot  there  since  their  first  pastors  had  been 
killed.  The  poor  people’s  joy  was  overwhelming ; but 
even  at  such  a recent  date  persecution  found  them  out 
again.  They  were  exiled,  and  dispersed  for  a time. 
But  only  for  a time.  Universal  toleration  was  pro- 
claimed in  1873,  and  on  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of 
their  discovery,  after  my  arrival  in  Japan,  the  Catholic 
Bishops  and  their  priests  went  in  state  to  celebrate 
a great  religious  festival  among  these  faithful  people. 
A friend  of  mine  who  accompanied  them  told  me  that 
nothing  could  be  more  entire  or  beautiful  than  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


369 


faith  then  shown.  The  people  came  flocking  on  foot 
over  the  hills^  whole  fleets  of  boats  covered  the  sea^ 
and  the  good  souls  wept  for  joy,  crowding  round  the 
Bishop  to  touch  his  hands,  his  robes,  his  feet. 

Let  us  forget  the  persecutors : has  not  every  nation 
numbered  such  at  some  moment  of  her  history  ? I like  to 
remember  that  all  those  faithful  martyrs  were  Japanese ; 
that  in  their  sweetness  and  constancy  le  Bon  Dieu 
a fait  des  siennes,”  as  an  old  nun  said  to  me  one 
day;  and  that  everywhere  in  the  island  empire  we  may 
feel  that  we  are  surrounded  by  true  hearts  and  brave 
spirits,  loyal  to  the  best  that  has  been  revealed  to  them. 
As  far  as  Christianity  is  concerned,  the  revelation  goes, 
step  by  step,  with  the  lives  led  by  Christians  here ; 
and  when  I hear  of  hatreds  and  jealousies  and  pitiful 
scandals,  I do  mourn  almost  more  for  the  good  retarded 
than  for  the  evil  done.  Evil  in  its  nature  is  passing, 
and  the  insult  to  the  majesty  of  God  will  find  its  repa- 
ration in  the  sacred  heart  of  His  Son ; but  the  good 
retarded  ? Ah ! that  is  a different  matter ! So  many 
lovely  actions  and  humble  prayers  and  glad  thanks- 
givings robbed  from  the  heavenly  treasury,  just  be- 
cause — Christian  men  and  women,  with  grace  to  draw 
on  and  truth  to  look  at,  and  God’s  right  hand  to  lead 
them  in  the  sight  of  men  and  angels  in  this  poor  old 
nineteenth  century,  will  not  lead  Christian  lives ! 

Ah ! I am  preaching  again ! Let  us  get  back  to 
business. 

We  finished  the  morning  in  Mr.  Okakura’s  especial 
domain,  the  Art  School,  situated  in  the  same  ground^, 

2 B 


VOL.  II 


370 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


and  not  very 
far  from  the 
Museum.  Here 
students  were 
carving,  paint- 
ing, drawing; 
and  many  a 
bright  face  was 
turned  upon  us 
as  we  passed 
from  room  to 
room.  That 
which  interested 
me  most  was 
the  making  of 
lacquer  — a long 
and  complicated 
process,  which  I 
had  never  be- 
held before.  In 
little  rooms  the 
men  sat  one  or  at 
most  two  work- 
ing together,  in 
just  the  silent, 
patient  way 
which  seems  fit- 
ting for  the  production  of  that  marvellous  material. 
From  the  first  handling  of  a thin  bit  of  wood  to  the 
point  where  decoration  pure  and  simple  may  begin. 


A HAPPY  FAMILY 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAK 


371 


thirty-seven  separate  processes  must  be  gone  through. 
A very  fine  and  thoroughly  seasoned  wood  is  used  for 
the  foundation ; the  first  applications  of  lacquer  are 
rubbed  away  again  and  again  ; a fine  textile  substance 
is  spread  on  the  surface,  layer  on  layer,  as  one  by  one 
absorbs  the  rare  varnish ; then  these  are  polished  again, 
each  drying  being  effected  slowly  in  moist  darkness ; 
then,  in  fine  red  lacquer,  comes  a layer  of  gold-dust, 
laid  on  thick  and  moist,  and  entirely  covered  again  by 
that  gorgeous  scarlet,  its  only  use  being  to  make  the 
red  richer  and  deeper;  and  at  last,  after  weeks  and 
months  of  preparation,  the  decorative  work  comes,  a 
marvel  of  richness,  bird  and  beast  and  fiower  in  raised 
gold,  where  every  modelling  is  clear  and  effective,  yet 
the  whole  smooth  to  the  touch  as  the  inner  walls  of  a 
sea-worn  shell.  It  is  almost  indestructible : you  can  fill 
your  bowl  with  boiling  spirits,  you  can  drown  it  for 
years  in  the  salt  sea  (I  have  seen  beautiful  old  speci- 
mens of  lacquer  recovered  from  wrecks),  and  it  will 
always  return  to  you,  whole  and  smooth  and  golden  as 
on  the  day  it  first  saw  the  light. 

When  it  became  necessary  for  me  to  tear  myself 
away  from  the  lacquer  studios,  the  chief  artist, 
Fukumatsu,  who,  Mr.  Okakura  told  me,  is  considered 
the  greatest  living  worker  in  lacquer,  had  a long 
conversation  with  the  director,  and  I was  told  that 
he  wished  me  to  have  a little  specimen  of  his  work, 
which  he  would  make  for  me  from  the  very  beginning, 
allowing  no  one  else  to  touch  it  even  in  the  preparatory 
stages.  It  should  be  something  with  my  mon,  or 


372 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


crest,  upon  it,  and  he  came  down  to  the  carriage  to 
have  a look  at  the  stag’s  head  proper  erased  ” on 
the  panel.  That,  however,  did  not  strike  him  as  artistic, 
and  I was  asked  whether  some  other  presentment  of 
a stag  would  do  as  well.  Any  other  animal  would  do 
as  well,  I thought,  in  Mr.  Fukumatsu’s  inspired  fingers ; 
and  after  thanking  him  for  his  kind  thought,  I said 
farewell  to  the  director  and  his  lacquer  magicians. 
Life  was  very  full  just  then  ; and  though  I did  not  for- 
get my  visit  to  the  school,  Mr.  Fukumatsu’s  benevolent 
intentions  went  clean  out  of  my  head. 

Six  weeks  later  a packet  was  brought  me,  wrapped 
in  covering  after  covering  of  soft  yellow  silk.  When 

these  were  shed  away,  a tiny  black  box  lay  in 
my  hand,  decorated  with  a golden  stag  — a thing  so 
fine  and  perfect  that  it  might  be  worn  as  a gem.  The 
inner  surface  (the  whole  thing  is  barely  an  inch  and  a 
half  across)  is  a tangle  of  golden  weeds  on  a powdered 
goldstone  ground,  and  the  two  halves  fit  together  so 
that  you  can  hardly  see  where  they  close.  A letter 
from  Mr.  Okakura  accompanied  the  charming  gift, 
asking  me  to  keep  it  in  remembrance  of  my  visit,  and 
saying  that  Fukumatsu  had  begun  it  on  that  day  and 
had  just  finished  it  now.  It  will  be  one  of  my  pet 
treasures,  the  materialisation  of  a most  pleasant  memory. 


CHAPTER  XLII 


THE  emperor’s  SILVER  WEDDING. — A TYPICAL  GATHERING. 

— NO  DANCING. — THE  CURTAIN  FALLS 

Tokyo,  April,  1894. 

rriWO  years  have  passed  since  I wrote  my  last  letter 
from  home  to  home  — years  in  which  all  the  old 
threads  have  been  taken  up  and  strengthened  and 
renewed ; and  now  I am  once  more  in  this  half-way 
house  of  the  world,  whence  a step  to  east  or  west 
brings  me  nearer  to  Europe.  I do  not  think  I have 
really  been  so  far  from  Japan  that  I did  not  sometimes 
see  the  cherry  blossoms  drifting  on  the  wind,  did  not 
sometimes  hear  the  scream  of  the  wild  goose  through 
the  winter  sky  and  the  long  roll  of  the  surf  thundering 
up  on  the  Atami  beaches.  Whatever  life  brings  or  takes 
away  — and  I came  with  a heavy  heart  to  this  other 
home  of  my  love,  as  if  life  or  death,  I knew  not  Y^hich, 
were  chanting  some  final  dirge  in  my  ears  Yvith  every 
break  of  the  sea  against  the  ship’s  side  — whatever 
comes,  Japan  will  always  be  my  second  home.  One 
cannot  explain  these  things.  I have  lived  in  many 
countries,  north  and  south  and  east  and  west,  and, 
except  in  the  Rome  of  our  childhood,  in  none  have  I 
found  the  spirit  of  beauty,  the  spit*it  of  peace,  the 

373 


374 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


skirts  of  Nature’s  robe  ever  at  hand  to  cling  to^  as 
I have  here,  east  of  the  sun,  west  of  the  moon,” 
in  the  land  of  the  gods,  reed-growing  Japan. 

Fuji  smiled  on  me  as  of  old  beyond  my  bower  of 
cherry  blossom  to-day ; the  garden  has  gone  mad  with 
some  jubilee  of  growth,  throwing  out  thousands  of 
gorgeous  roses  even  so  early  as  this,  before  the  azaleas 
have  done  flaming  over  their  fairy  hillocks ; every  palm 
tree  in  house  and  garden  is  going  to  floAver  this  year ; 
the  bamboos  are  all  a-feather  with  new  shoots  ; the  great 
Avistaria  arbour  is  a dream ; and  I have  a crimson  carpet 
spread  under  the  translucent  green  and  purple,  and  sit 
there  AAdiole  days  just  watching  things  groAV,  and  seeming 
to  hear  the  sap  bubbling  up  to  intoxicate  the  AA^orld  Avith 
beauty. 

There  have  been  some  splendid  Court  functions  to 
celebrate  the  silver  AA^edding  of  the  Emj)eror  and  the 
Empress.  The  anniversary  fell  on  March  9th,  just  after 
our  arrival,  and  for  many  days  AA^e  lived  in  a kind 
of  pageant  of  pomp  and  colour.  I shall  never  forget 
the  no  dancing  at  the  Palace ; but  I had  better  tell 
you  the  story  from  the  beginning,  if  I can. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th  there  Avas  a great  recep- 
tion at  the  Palace,  which,  from  entrance  to  audience- 
chamber,  Avas  full  of  the  most  beautiful  floAvers.  We 
mustered  in  force ; and  Avhen  it  was  our  turn  to  go  in 

and  congratulate  the  sovereigns,  H and  I led  quite 

an  imposing  staff  up  to  the  steps  where  they  stood. 
Of  late  I have  been  the  only  woman  in  the  party,  and 
it  Avas  delightful  to  have  dear  Mrs.  L Avith  me  this 


LETTEES  EEOM  JAPAN 


375 


time,  looking  quite  charming  in  her  mauve-and-silver 
Court  gown.  I had  found  a brocade  all  over  straw- 
berries, and  in  spite  of  H ’s  sarcastic  quotation,  Ce 

n’est  plus  la  mode  de  s’asseoir  sur  son  blason  ” wore 
it  bravely.  We  were 
received  in  a small 
drawing-room,  as  we 
usually  are  for  a pri- 
vate audience. 

The  Empress  was 
wearing  such  a mass 
of  diamonds  that  you 
could  hardly  see  what 
her  dress  was  made  of. 

Everything  was  white, 
and  in  the  brilliant 
sunshine  that  glowed 
on  white  jewels,  white 
satin,  white  flowers,  I 
remembered  my  first 
real  sight  of  Fuji,  with 
the  blaze  of  the  winter  midday  lying  white  on  its  dazzling 
snows.  The  Empress’s  fine  little  face  was  as  wdiite  as 
all  the  rest ; but  her  dark  eyes  shone  very  happily  under 
her  diamond  crown,  and  there  was  quite  a ring  in  her 
voice  as  she  answered  all  our  pretty  speeches ; indeed, 
she  talked  more  gaily  than  I have  ever  heard  her  do 
before.  The  Queen’s  message  arrived  just  an  hour  be- 
fore we  started  for  the  Palace,  and  we  were  profoundly 
thankful  that  it  came  in  time  for  H to  deliver  it 


376 


LETTEKS  EEOM  JAPAN 


at  the  audience.  The  Emperor  looked  like  a piece  of 
the  sun  himself  in  his  brilliant  uniform  and  splendid 
decorations ; and  he,  too,  had  for  once  laid  aside  the 
cold  calmness  of  his  usual  manner,  and  laughed  and 
talked  as  if  he  were  in  the  best  of  spirits.  After  the 
stock  phrases  had  been  exchanged,  he  told  me  that  he 
heard  I had  brought  a wonderful  dog  from  England  (a 
new’  Dachs,  who  took  command  of  Tip  and  all  the  rest 
the  day  he  arrived) ; and  I felt  cold  for  a minute,  fear- 
ing that  politeness  would  require  me  to  place  Toney 
Bones  at  his  Majesty’s  disposal.  But  — I did  not ! 

There  was  a review  in  the  afternoon  ; but  I did  not 
go  to  that,  preferring  to  reserve  my  strength  for  the 
evening,  which  promised  to  be  long  and  interesting. 
The  Emperor  and  Empress,  by  the  way,  began  their 
day  with  a religious  service  in  their  private  chapel  two 
hours  before  they  received  us.  The  Emperor’s  taste  in 
religion,  as  in  other  things,  is  for  extreme  simplicity ; and 
the  chapel,  which  I regret  not  to  have  seen,  is  of  course 
pure  Shinto,  containing  the  iliai,  or  mortuary  tablets, 
■of  his  Majesty’s  ancestors.  All  the  Imperial  family 
and  the  chief  dignitaries  of  the  empire  assisted  this 
morning  at  the  service,  prayers  being  offered  in  turn, 
and  incense  burnt  before  the  ihai.  All  the  day  had 
gone  in  giving  audiences  and  reviewing  troops,  and 
I thought  their  Majesties  had  a right  to  be  very  tired, 
when  the  time  came  for  the  evening’s  entertainment  to 
begin. 

It  consisted  first  of  a dinner,  given  to  eight  hundred 
peojffe  in  different  banqueting-halls  of  the  Palace,  the 


LETTEKS  FEOM  JAPAN  37^ 

Imperial  Princes  acting  as  hosts  for  the  Emperor,  who 
presided  at  the  table  in  the  great  dining-room,  where 
two  hundred  guests  were  accom- 
modated. I had  been  through  the 
room  again  and  again,  and  had 
often  wondered  how  it  would  look 
filled  with  people  and  lights  and 
flowers.  So  I saw  it  now,  lighted 
from  end  to  end  with  soft  shin- 
ing candles  (no  electric  light  has 
been  used  in  the  Palace  since  the 
burning  of  the  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment), lined  with  flowers,  the  long 
table  which  ran  round  three  sides  of  the  room  just  one 
line  of  light  and  silver  and  hothouse  blooms.  The  seats 
for  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  tall  gilt  armchairs, 
and  behind  them  the  wall  ran  back  in  an  alcove,  a remi- 
niscence of  the  tokonoma,  the  alcove  of  honour  in  the 
chief  room  of  a Japanese  house. 
This  was  a bower  of  flowers,  and  in 
the  midst  of  them  were  set  two 
quaint  little  figures  of  a very  old 
man  and  a very  old  woman,  the 
Darby  and  Joan  of  Japanese  legend, 
who,  though  humble  (they  are  always 
represented  in  poor  clothes,  and  car- 
rying implements  of  work  — the  old 
man  a spade,  the  old  woman  a 
broom),  lived  in  the  greatest  contentment  and  happi- 
ness to  extreme  old  age,  never  having  quarrelled  in 


3IAHQL  IS  SAIGO 


COUNT  INOUVE 


378 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


their  lives.  I have  often  seen  the  quaint  figures,  with 
their  smiling,  wrinkled  faces  and  snow-white  hair,  at 
lowly  festivals  and  in  poor  people’s  homes.  There  was 
something  rather  touching  about  finding  them  here,  put 
up  as  the  types  and  patrons  of  married  happiness,  in 
the  midst  of  all  the  pomp  and  magnificence  of  the 
Imperial  feast. 

Just  opposite  the  sovereigns’  places,  the  silver  orna- 
ments took  the  shape  of  sculptured  cranes,  each  over 
four  feet  high,  with  silver  pine  trees  beside  them,  and 
great  silver  tortoises  at  their  feet.  These  were  presents 
to  the  Emperor  from  some  of  the  Princes  of  the  Imperial 
family.  The  work  was  lovely,  and  they  made  a beautiful 
effect,  rising  out  of  the  sea  of  flowers  and  silver  and 
gleaming  glass.  Beside  the  plate  of  every  guest  stood 
a miniature  crane,  with  a tortoise  at  his  feet,  exquisitely 
worked  in  silver  and  enamel,  forming  the  cover  to  a 
casket  of  bonbons.  These  were  the  Emperor’s  gifts 
to  his  guests,  and  certainly  mine  is  a curio  that  I 
should  be  sorry  to  part  with.  The  dinner  was  admirably 
served  — no  small  triumph  when  you  remember  that 
European  methods,  with  all  that  they  entail  of  utensils, 
glass,  porcelain,  silver,  and  linen,  do  not  enter  into  the 
daily  life  of  the  Palace  at  all.  The  service  was  perfect 
— a footman  to  every  two  guests ; and  all  this  crowd 
■of  men  did  not  get  in  each  other’s  way,  attended  quietly 
to  one’s  wants,  and  made,  in  their  dark  liveries  of 
■crimson  and  black  and  gold,  an  effective  background 
to  the  long  rows  of  guests,  where  the  women  were 
almost  all  in  white,  relieved  with  gold  or  silver  and 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


379 


covered  with  jewels,  the  men  with  hardly  an  exception 
in  all  the  glory  of  smart  uniforms.  Only  the  chiefs 
of  missions  and  their  wives  had  been  asked  to  the 
dinner,  and  there 
were  but  four  of 

the  latter,  so  my 
place  was  very  near 
the  Emperor  and 
Empress;  and  I had 
quite  enough  to 
keep  me  good  and 
amused  while  the 
feast  lasted.  There 

were  people  j>resent  that  night  who  rarely  show  them- 
selves in  public : old  pretenders  to  the  throne ; old 

leaders  of  rebellions ; fierce  fighters,  the  story  of  whose 
feats  would  make  one’s  blood  run  cold  but  for  the  hot 

white  fire  of  hero- 
ism that  lights 
them  up.  How 
strange  it  was  to 
sit  opposite  to  these 
men  here  in  the 
Palace  ; to  watch 
the  calm  dark  faces 
veiled  by  that  man- 

SILVER  WEDDING  MEDAE  , , ^ ^ ^ 

tie  ot  cold  suavity 
more  impenetrable  than  an  iron  mask;  to  listen  to  the 
quiet  small  talk  of  an  official  feast ; to  watch  the  deco- 
rations rise  and  fall  on  breasts  that  were  heaving  to 


380 


LETTEES  FROM  JAPAN 


madness  with  the  lust  of  war  or  the  pride  of  race  or 
the  desire  of  revenge  only  a few  years  ago  ! Tokugawa, 
Mori,  Iwakura,  Kido,  Saigo,  the  brother  of  the  Satsuma 
leader,  Kawarnura,  who  so  tenderly  washed  the  beloved 


glasses  were  lifted  with  a gesture  of  devout,  passionate 
loyalty,  when  the  Emperor’s  health  was  drunk ; and  the 
Emperor,  sitting  there,  not  talking  much,  but  smiling 
kindly  on  all  within  his  vision,  must,  I think,  have  felt 
warm  at  heart  with  the  conviction  that  at  last  he  has 
prevailed  ; he  has  carried  out  the  dream  which  worked 
in  his  restless  brain  in  the  many  splendours  of  Kyoto, 
in  the  long  fight  against  bonds  which  had  grown  with 
the  growth  of  centuries,  which  burnt  into  his  spirit  all 
through  his  boyhood,  till  he  risked  all  to  snap  them, 
and  — prevailed.  He  rules  alone  to-day,  in  spite,  per- 
haps because,  of  all  that  he  has  granted  in  reforms,  in 
public  freedom,  in  representative  government,  and  indi- 
vidual liberty.  I do  not  believe  there  is  a man  of  any 


COUNT  OKUMA 


rebel’s  head  while  the  brother 
wept  over  it  — name  after  name 
down  the  long  table  spoke  of 
that  recent  history  of  the  coun- 
try which  to-day’s  Japan  has 
left  a thousand  years  behind. 
Here  are  some  of  their  jDor- 
traits ; for  these  ty|)ical  coun- 
tenances will  bring  the  guests 
more  clearly  before  you  than 
any  words  of  mine.  All  the 
heads  bowed  one  way,  all  the 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


381 


party  in  Japan  who  would  not  be  glad  and  proud  to 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  Emperor.  If  a war  should 
come,  Japan’s  armies  will  gather  of  themselves  from 
every  home  in  the  empire. 

But  I must  not  talk  of  war  now,  for  the  silver 
wedding  was  a festival  of  peace.  When  dinner  was 
over,  the  Emperor  and  Empress  held  a kind  of  cercle 
in  one  of  the  drawing-rooms,  where  all  the  vases  and 
wreaths  of  flowers  had  swarms  of  silver  butterflies 
hanging  over  them.  There  was  a little  pleasant  talk, 
and  then  we  all  went  to  the  throne-room,  where  the  no, 
the  ceremonious  dance,  was  to 
be  performed. 

Here  we  found  a crowd  of 
people,  all  the  other  guests  in- 
deed, waiting  for  the  sovereigns’ 
arrival.  The  room  itself  had 
been  a good  deal  altered,  and  I 


to  skate  with  slow  dignity  on 
various  occasions.  The  throne, 
which  is  usually  here,  had  been 
removed,  and  a high  da’is  had 
been  erected,  where  two  fauteuils 
were  placed  for  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  with  seats- 
below  on  either  side  for  the  Cabinet  Ministers  and  for 
the  Foreign  Representatives,  running  a little  way  down 
the  two  sides  of  the  room ; but  close  to  the  throne 


hardly  recognised  the  flve  hun- 
dred square  yards  of  polished 
parquet  over  which  I have  had 


BARON  ITO 


382 


LETTERS  EROM  JAPAN 


behind  were  seats  for  the  Imperial  Princes  and  Princesses 
and  for  the  Empress’s  ladies.  They  looked  charming, 
all  massed  together  in  their  shining  dresses  and  jewels 
under  the  lights.  The  Empress  was  wearing  a still 
more  gorgeous  gown  than  she  had  on  in  the  morning 
— a cloth  of  silver  with  a design  of  phoenix  plumes  in 
, the  brocade,  I think.  She  looked  very  white  and  fragile 
against  the  dark  silk  hangings  behind  her  chair,  a little 
wraith  of  royalty,  wrapped  in  trails  of  misty  silver, 
the  long  gleams  breaking  from  the  diamond  stars  in 
her  crown  as  from  the  edge  of  a sword  whirled  in  the 
sun. 

The  place  was  already  crowded,  and  the  moment 
we  had  found  our  seats  some  curtains  which  hung  over 
the  glass  screen  at  the  farther  end  were  drawn  back, 
musicians  came  in,  made  a low  obeisance  to  the  sover- 
eigns, and  crept  to  their  places  at  the  back  of  a low 
square  platform,  which,  covered  with  green  cloth,  occu- 
pied the  centre  of  the  room.  It  was  only  slightly 
raised  above  the  floor,  and  was  well  below  the  da'is  on 
which  the  Emperor  and  Empress  sat. 

And  then  the  no  began.  Here  is  a translation  of 
my  programme  card : 

^^THE  9th  day  of  THE  3rd  MONTH  OF  THE 
27th  year  of  MEIJI 

Banzairaku 

Music  composed,  1300  years  ago,  by  the  Emperor 

Yomei.  It  represents  the  joyous  flight  of  a Bird  of 

Paradise  in  the  Golden  Age. 


LETTERS  FROM  eJAPAN 


S83 


Enguiraku 

Music  composed,  987  years  ago,  by  Fujiwara  Tadafusa, 
General  of  the  Life  Guards.  The  accompanying  dance 
was  composed  by  Prince  Atsumi. 

Taiheiraku 

Music  rearranged,  from  the  Chinese  original,  1037 
years  ago.  It  represents  the  idea  of  the  establishment  of 
peace  by  the  regulation  of  every  disorder  or  discrepancy. 

Bairo 

Music  from  India,  transmitted  to  Japan,  1160  years 
ago,  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Shiomu.  It  is  also 
called  Bairo-Hajinraku,  and  represents  the  idea  of  the 
submission  of  enemies.” 

Such  is  the  programme,  indeed ; but  how  can  I 
describe  to  you  the  extraordinary  scenes  and  sounds 
to  which  these  few  bald  sentences  and  unintelligible 
names  introduced  us  ? The  first  effect  of  the  low, 
grindiug  music,  with  its  threatening  drum  effects  and 
stormy  cries,  was  painful  ; a feeling  of  tension,  anxiety, 
nnnaturalness,  took  possession  of  me,  and  I wanted  to 
get  up  and  move  about,  to  do  anything  that  was  abso- 
lutely impossible  ; but  when  the  Bird  of  Paradise  came 
floating  over  the  floor,  with  golden  wings  and  flowing 
draperies  and  outspread  arms,  as  if  seeking  for  its  mate, 
the  sense  within  me  had  found  its  air,  and  breathed 
with  a gasp  of  joy.  For  the  Bird  of  Paradise  seemed 
to  be  a beautiful  girl,  very  slender,  and  so  light  that 
she  rose  and  fell,  as  it  were,  on  the  wings  of  the  music, 
which  followed  and  wafted  her  on,  backwards  and  for- 
wards, floating  and  sinking,  just  as  the  spring  wind 


384' 


LETTEES  FEOM  JAPAN 


carries  the  birds  that  have  flown  too  low  in  my  garden. 
There  was  nothing  sudden  or  unexpected  about  the  danco 
at  first.  The  Bn*d  of  Paradise  sunned  itself  in  the- 
light;  then  another,  its  mate,  came  gliding  towards  it, 
and  there  were  two  of  them,  darting,  swaying,  whirling 
hither  and  thither  across  the  dark  stretch  which  in  some 
way  gave  the  impression  of  being  empty  air  ; faster  and 
faster  the  quick,  darting  movements  came  ; more  rapidly 
the  draperies’,  soft  floating  reds  and  golds  were  blown 
in  ever-recurring  twists  and  folds  round  the  slight 
figures ; then  the  music  died,  and  the  dancers  knelt 
with  their  heads  low  on  the  ground  in  homage  to  the 
Emperor,  who  smiled,  and  said  a word  of  precious  praise, 
sure  to  be  treasured  for  a lifetime. 

There  was  a pause,  and  I awoke  from  the  kind  of 
trance  that  had  fallen  on  me,  and  looked  round  slowly, 
trying  to  remember  where  I was.  A Japanese  friend 
leaned  forward  from  behind  me,  and  began  to  tell  me 
some  more  of  the  fairy  tale.  These  were  not  girls,  but 
boys ; all  the  no  at  Court  are  performed  by  men 
alone.  Yes,  doubtless  they  were  not  bad  ; indeed,  there 
should  be  none  better,  since  for  eight  hundred  years 
the  same  family  had  always  provided  the  Emperor’s 
dancers,  and  were  trained  to  these  exercises  from 
father  to  son,  father  to  son.  But  see,  the  new  dance  is 
beginning,  a martial  measure.  Those  men  are  dressed 
in  armour  ; the  music  is  harsh  and  loud  ; they  wlieel 
and  turn,  they  retreat  and  advance ; the  light  strikes 
on  cold  pale  faces  and  gleaming  eyes,  on  helmets 
towering  with  some  dragon  crest,  on  gloved  hands 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


385 


grasping  a spear,  on  mystic  fell  of  fox  or  badger  wrapped 
for  a charm  round  the  np-curved  sword-sheath.  And 
my  obedient  spirit  follows  on,  to  dreamland,  fairyland  — 
to  a new  and  yet  old  country  of  my  thoughts,  where 
these  strange  rhythms,  the  triumphant  measures,  have 
meant  more  to  me  than  I can  remember  to-day.  I 
cannot  understand  the  little  buzz  of  talk  which  breaks 
out  after  each  perform- 
ance, as  if  those  around 
me  were  glad  to  warp 
back,  like  a spent  bow- 
string, to  the  common 
lines  of  life.  I can  sym- 
pathise with  the  Em- 
peror, whose  face  lights 
up,  whose  eyes  dilate, 
as  he  watches  the  mys- 
terious no  ; he  has  ceased 
to  talk,  and  sits  in 
silence,  waiting  for  the 
next  lifting  of  that  cur- 
tain of  the  dreamland 
of  history. 

Ah ! this  is  the  Indian  music  — a strong,  many- 
throated  strain,  with  tender  intervals  and  pauses  and 
swelling  notes  of  sober  joy.  Who  knows  what  voices 
gave  it  birth  four  thousand  generations  back  in  the 
country  over  the  sea  ? Strange,  indeed,  are  the  dresses 
of  the  dancers  now,  six  tall  men,  straight  as  palms, 
lithe  as  the  spear  cut  from  the  young  bamboo,  with 

2 c 


VOL.  II 


386 


LETTERS  FROM  JAPAN 


close-shod  feet,  and  close-wrapped  sleeves  that  show 
every  turn  of  the  fine  wrist  as  it  darts  or  draws  back 
the  spear  that  compels  the  submission  of  enemies.  Are 
the  men  six,  or  one,  I wonder?  Faultlessly  matched 
in  height  and  figure,  they  go  through  their  rapid  evolu- 
tions with  such  precision  that  every  streamer  and  end 
of  drapery  makes  the  same  curl  on  the  air  at  the  same 
moment.  Their  dress  seems  like  a close-clinging  tunic 
and  under-robe  of  some  soft  silk  tissue,  in  which  threads 
of  red  and  gold  are  closely  intermingled,  so  that  the 
folds  which  seemed  red  in  the  shadow  break  in  dusky 
gold  where  the  light  falls  on  them.  But  the  whole 
costume  is  composed  of  ribbonlike  bands  of  material, 
which  hang  close  when  the  wearer  is  in  repose,  but 
shake  and  part  and  fioat  on  the  wind  of  his  motion ; 
and  as  the  movement  swings  on  in  a triumphant  step, 
these  bands  fly  aside,  all  at  the  same  instant,  at  the 
same  angle,  and  reveal  gleams  of  splendid  armour 
beneath  — breastplates  where  the  light  twinkles  on  gold 
and  lacquer,  arms  where  a sleeve  of  mail  clings  to 
the  supple  muscles  — show  the  sword-hilt  on  the  hip, 
and  a long  straight  blade  hanging  by  the  swift  straight 
limbs.  Six  great  spears  dart  upright,  cross  their  points, 
are  laid  out  in  a square  on  the  cloth  while  the  dancers 
thread  quick  steps  across  and  across  them ; and  at  last, 
as  the  music  screams  for  victory,  the  men  fall  back, 
each  in  his  place,  stretched  almost  on  the  ground,  his 
head  by  the  spear’s  head,  his  feet  at  the  spear’s  foot ; 
they  hang  for  an  instant,  as  if  in  the  act  of  falling 
still,  and  at  a sudden  note  spring  to  their  feet  with 


LETTEKS  FROM  JAPAN 


387 


tlieir  draperies  whirling  behind  them,  they  drop  the 
spear-points  in  low  obeisance  towards  the  Emperor,  their 
heads  touch  the  ground  in  uniform  homage,  and  they 
are  gone ; the  screens  have  closed  behind  them.  See, 
the  royalties  are  moving ; they  pass  down  the  lines, 
smiling  a kind  good-night  to  all.  The  ninth  day  of 
the  third  month  of  the  twenty-seventh  year  of  Meiji, 
the  Period  of  Enlightened  Peace,  is  over,  and  the  curtain 
of  To-day  has  fallen,  grey  and  tangible,  over  the  dreamy 
splendours  of  the  Past. 


